The American daily “Washington Post” reports the information, citing documents consulted by the newspaper and a statement from Mr. Hegseth's lawyer. The latter claims that the meeting was based on mutual consent.
Pete Hegseth, nominated by US President-elect Donald Trump for defense secretary, paid money to a woman who accused him of sexual assault, as part of a confidentiality agreement. The American daily Washington Post reports the information, citing documents seen by the newspaper and a statement from Mr. Hegseth's lawyer. The latter claims that the meeting was based on mutual consent.
It was previously revealed that police had opened an investigation into the accusation of sexual assault at a hotel in California in 2017. Mr Hegseth's lawyer told the Washington Post that the police, who were contacted by the woman a few days after the incident, concluded that “the complainant was the aggressor during the encounter”. Police have not confirmed this claim. According to his lawyer, Mr. Hegseth was “visibly under the influence” at the time of the incident.
Fearing for his position as host on the conservative American channel Fox News, Mr. Hegseth agreed to pay an unspecified sum to this lady.
Last week, it was also revealed that a friend of the alleged victim had informed Donald Trump's team about the accusation. A document consulted by the Washington Post states that Mr. Hegseth allegedly raped a thirty-year-old collaborator of a group of conservatives in his room after an evening in a hotel bar.
After this information was made public about this police investigation, the president-elect's team showed its support for Mr. Hegseth. “Mr. Hegseth has refuted all accusations and there have never been any charges,” she said.
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