Hegseth tells senator he paid $50,000 to woman who accused him of 2017 sex assault

WASHINGTON — Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, paid $50,000 to the woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2017, according to answers he provided to a senator during his confirmation process that The Associated Press obtained.

The answers were provided to Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren in response to additional questions she had for Hegseth as part of the vetting process.

Hegseth attorney Timothy Parlatore declined to comment on the dollar figure Thursday. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter was consensual and denied wrongdoing.

The former combat veteran and Fox News host told senators during his confirmation hearing last week that he was “falsely accused” in the 2017 incident and completely cleared.

Senate advances Hegseth's nomination

News of the payment amount came the same day the Senate advanced Hegseth's nomination along a party-line vote. The vote was 51-49, with a final vote on confirmation expected Friday.

Two Republicans, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, broke with Trump and voted Thursday against Hegseth, who also faces allegations of excessive drinking and being abusive to his second wife, which he denies.

The most serious accusation came from the woman who told police she was sexually assaulted by Hegseth in a California hotel room in 2017 after he took her phone, blocked the door and refused to let her leave, according to an investigative report released in November.

The report does not say that police found the allegations were false. Police recommended the case report be forwarded to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni said her office declined to file charges in January 2018 because it didn’t have “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”

Some question Hegseth's behaviors

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York implored his colleagues to think seriously, “Is this the best man we have to lead the greatest military in the world?”

Murkowksi, in a lengthy statement, said Hegseth's behaviors “starkly contrast” with what is expected of the military. She also noted his past statements that women should not fill military combat roles. Hegseth sought to temper those statements during the confirmation process.

“I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,” Murkowski wrote on social media.

Murkowski said behavior that Hegseth acknowledged, “including infidelity on multiple occasions,” shows a lack of judgment. “These behaviors starkly contrast the values and discipline expected of service members,” she said.

Collins said that while she appreciates Hegseth's “courageous military service and his ongoing commitment to our service members and their families, I am concerned that he does not have the experience and perspective necessary to succeed in the job."

She also said that after a lengthy discussion with Hegseth, “I am not convinced that his position on women serving in combat roles has changed.”

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Trump stands by Defense pick

Rarely has a Cabinet choice encountered such swirling allegations of wrongdoing. Trump stood by Hegseth, and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee dismissed the claims as factually inaccurate.

It will take a simple majority of senators to confirm Hegseth’s nomination. Most Republicans, who hold a 53-seat majority in the chamber, signaled they will back the nominee, though Vice President JD Vance could be called in to break a tie vote.

“I am ironclad in my assessment that the nominee, Mr. Hegseth, is prepared to be the next secretary of defense,” the chairman, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said in a statement on the eve of voting. "The Senate needs to confirm this nominee as fast as possible.”

A new president's national security nominees are often the first to be lined up for confirmation, to ensure U.S. safety at home and abroad. Already the Senate has overwhelmingly confirmed Marco Rubio as secretary of state in a unanimous vote, and confirmed John Ratcliffe as CIA director Thursday.

But Hegseth stands in a category of his own amid allegations that he sexually assaulted the woman at a Republican conference in California, which he denied as a consensual encounter, and of heavy drinking at events when he led a veterans organization.

A new claim emerged this week in an affidavit from a former sister-in-law who claimed Hegseth was abusive to his second wife to the point that she feared for her safety. Hegseth denied the allegation. In divorce proceedings, neither Hegseth nor the woman claimed to be a victim of domestic abuse.

Schumer said Thursday that Hegseth is unqualified for the job.

“One of the kindest words that might be used to describe Mr. Hegseth is erratic, and that’s a term you don’t want at DOD,” Schumer said. “He has a clear problem of judgment.”

A Princeton- and Harvard-educated former combat veteran, Hegseth went on to make a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump tapped him as the defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.

During a fiery confirmation hearing, Hegseth swatted away allegations of wrongdoing — dismissing them as “smears” — as he displayed his military credentials and vowed to bring “warrior culture" to the top Pentagon post.

Hegseth promised not to drink on the job if confirmed.

Wicker said he was briefed a third time on the FBI background investigation into Hegseth. He said "the allegations unfairly impugning his character do not pass scrutiny.”

But senators remained doubtful of his experience and abilities and the alleged behavior that could lead to reprimand or firing for military personnel he would now be expected to lead.

Still, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, herself a combat veteran and sexual assault survivor, signaled her backing.

Technology

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