Pete Hegseth, host of ‘FOX & Friends’ at Fox News Channel Studios in New York City, May 27, 2022.
Roy Locklin | getty images
A lawyer for former Fox News host Pete Hegseth confirmed to NBC News on Sunday that Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, paid an undisclosed amount to a woman who accused him of sexual assault.
“In 2023, Hegseth paid the accuser as part of a confidential civil settlement agreement and maintained his innocence,” Hegseth’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, said in a statement.
He also denied that the encounter with the unnamed woman, which Hegseth claims took place in 2017, was a sexual assault.
Parlatore’s statement comes after the Washington Post reported on Saturday that a friend of Hegseth’s accuser sent a memo to the Trump transition team detailing the allegations.
NBC News has not independently reviewed the memo, but Parlatore confirmed it was related to a meeting between Hegseth and an unnamed woman in Monterey, California, during a California Republican Women’s League meeting.
The Post reported that the note said the woman had attended a meeting with her husband and children and “was in Hegseth’s hotel room on the night in question and did not remember anything until she stumbled and found her hotel room.”
Parlatore denied the claims, saying: “This was a consensual encounter, but unfortunately the woman had to lie to explain why she did not return to her husband’s room that night.”
“This was not reported until a few days later, under pressure from her husband. It was fully investigated by police and video surveillance and several witness statements revealed that she was the perpetrator,” he added.
Monterey authorities investigated the allegations in 2017 but did not charge Hegseth.
Parlatore also called his client “completely innocent” and accused the woman of “trying to pressure Mr. Hegseth for money.”
Before Hegseth officially becomes Secretary of Defense, he must secure a Senate majority for a confirmation vote.
“I think he’s a good choice,” Sen. Markwayne Mullen of Oklahoma said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Nonetheless, he added, the Senate should deliberate and review Hegseth’s record before voting.
“But once again, if the allegations come to light, the Senate will figure out whether he can be confirmed while doing his constitutional duty with the advice and consent of the President of the United States. And I think Pete is a good choice for this position.” said Mullin.
