Pete Hegseth, the Fox News host who is Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defense, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women's event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the city. No charges were filed in the case. Hegseth's attorney, Timothy Parlatore, tells the AP the allegations were "completely false." The matter "was investigated by the police at the time and they found no evidence," he adds. Monterey City officials declined to release a police report that documented the accusations and instead issued a brief statement Thursday night in response to press inquiries.
According to that statement, Monterey Police were contacted in October 2017 to investigate a sexual assault that allegedly took place several days earlier at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Monterey and involved Hegseth. The person who reported the assault—whose name, age and sex were not released—had bruises on the right thigh. No weapons were involved in the encounter, the person told police. The incident occurred sometime between 11:59pm on Oct. 7 and 7am the following morning, according to the city's statement. Hegseth was in town at the time to address the California Federation of Republican Women during a banquet dinner held at the group's biennial convention, according to social media posts and promotional materials from the time.
The alleged assault was first reported by Vanity Fair on Thursday. Monterey City officials said they were withholding further details included in the police report because it included analysis and conclusions by law enforcement officials that are exempt from release under state public records law. At the time of the alleged assault in 2017, Hegseth, now 44, was going through a divorce with his second wife, with whom he has three children. She filed for divorce after he had a child with a Fox News producer who is now his wife, according to court records and social media posts by Hegseth. His first marriage ended in 2009, also after infidelity by Hegseth, according to court records.
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In a statement, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump transition, said Hegseth "has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed. We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can get started on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again."
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