On Thursday, January 23, The Hill and Associated Press reportedly confirmed Former FOX News Host Pete Hegseth paid $50,000 to a woman accusing him of sexual assault.
The accuser, identified as a Jane Doe, says she met with Pete Hegseth at a hotel following a speaking appearance at a Republican women’s event in Monterey, California on the evening of October 7, 2017. Between 11:59 p.m. on October 7, 2017 and 7:00 a.m. on October 8, 2017, the accuser reportedly claims she was drugged while at a hotel bar. Afterward, the accuser says she remembers Hegseth being on top of her and preventing her from leaving the room. A police statement released last November found the accuser sustained contusions to her right thigh, but did not press charges against the former FOX News host. The accuser and Hegseth reportedly reached a settlement in 2020, but the amount was previously unreported until January 2024.
Pete Hegseth has refuted the accuser’s account of what took place, claiming that he was “falsely accused” and the encounter was consensual. His attorney, Timothy Parlatore, also claims his client is the victim of blackmail, calling it a “successful extortion” plot.
“He was falsely accused and my position is that he was the victim of blackmail,” Parlatore told reporters.
Hegseth’s past has come into focus as President Donald Trump nominated him to become the next Secretary of Defense. In addition to sexual assault, he has also been accused of exercising improper judgment due to his drinking habits, abusing his ex-wife and exhibiting poor financial mismanagement while leading two veteran groups. He has denied all accusations.
On Thursday, January 23, 2025, Hegseth cleared a procedural vote in the Senate by a tall of 51 in favor and 49 opposed. The former FOX News Host is expected to return to the Senate for a confirmation vote on Friday, January 24, 2025.
