Donald Trump defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth paid off woman who accused him of rape

Donald Trump's defense caput pick paid disconnected a pistillate who accused him of raping her 7 years ago.

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News pundit and erstwhile National Guard officer, was investigated for an alleged intersexual assault successful 2017 but nary charges were filed.

The alleged rape took spot successful the aboriginal greeting hours of October 8, 2017, astatine the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa successful Monterey, California.

Local constabulary investigated 'an alleged intersexual assault' involving Hegseth, that was reported 4 days later, the metropolis said.

No weapons were involved, according to the statement, but determination were injuries – 'contusions to close thigh.'

No further details were released and the metropolis said it would not merchandise the afloat constabulary report, noting it was exempt from nationalist disclosure. The connection did not accidental what happened to the investigation.

Hegseth, who was divorced from his 2nd woman astatine the clip of the alleged rape, has not been charged successful immoderate transgression lawsuit oregon named arsenic a suspect successful immoderate civilian lawsuit.

Timothy Parlatore, a lawyer representing Hegseth, admitted to the Washington Post that his lawsuit paid the pistillate for her silence.

He said Hegseth paid her an undisclosed magnitude due to the fact that helium feared the allegation getting retired 'would effect successful his contiguous termination from Fox'.

Parlatore said Hegseth was drunk and claimed the pistillate was 'the aggressor successful the encounter', which constabulary did not hold with.

A ailment from an unnamed pistillate with extended cognition of the alleged rape sent to Trump's unit explained the communicative constabulary were told astatine the time.

Hegseth was a talker astatine the California Federation of Republican Women league astatine the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa the time of the alleged rape.

He joined different guests astatine the edifice barroom afterwards on with the woman, who was staying astatine the edifice with her hubby and young children.

Part of her occupation for the league was to marque definite Hegseth got retired of furniture the adjacent greeting successful clip to drawback his formation home.

At immoderate constituent that night, she got texts from 2 women astatine the barroom saying Hegseth 'was getting pushy astir his involvement successful taking them upstairs to his room,' it was claimed. 

She allegedly came implicit and talked to them, and erstwhile they near she 'remembered sensing that Hegseth was irritated'.

The memo sent by the different pistillate claimed she 'didn't retrieve thing until she was successful Hegseth's edifice country and past stumbling to find her edifice room'.

The six to 9 hours aft intervening in Hegseth flirting with the different women were 'very hazy', the memo claimed.

When she returned home, she 'had a infinitesimal of hazy representation of being raped the nighttime before, and had a panic attack', the memo alleged.

That was erstwhile she went to the ER and had a rape kit taken that was affirmative for semen. 

The pistillate who wrote the memo explained they had been friends for 15 years and she had 'never known her to beryllium irresponsible, drunk, oregon ever of questionable character'.

Parlatore argued a precise antithetic bid of events wherever the enactment was consensual and the pistillate took vantage of Hegseth.

'Witnesses stated that Mr Hegseth was visibly intoxicated but the complainant was not, arsenic she led him by the limb to his edifice room,' helium said.

He claimed they walked retired of the barroom arm-in-arm and she was smiling, and erstwhile they got to his room, she was 'the aggressor successful initiating intersexual activity'.

The pistillate planned to archer her hubby she fell dormant connected a sofa successful a friend's room, Parlatore claimed Hegseth told police.

He said the ER introspection 'produced nary grounds that the intersexual interaction was nonconsensual'.

The memo written by the person said immoderate clip aft the constabulary opted not to prosecute the case, she and her hubby hired a lawyer 'to guarantee Hegseth didn't get disconnected without punishment'.

Parlatore said helium responded with a cease and desist bid connected February 2, 2020, which was provided to the Post.

'Should you take to proceed with the filing of a frivolous suit against my client, my lawsuit has directed our steadfast to prosecute each disposable remedies against you,' the missive read.

'Both you and Mr Hegseth person spouses, families and children that you undoubtedly some emotion precise overmuch and a nationalist combat is not successful anyone's champion involvement - particularly successful a lawsuit similar this wherever some the instrumentality and the facts are against.' 

Hegseth's then-wife was successful the process of divorcing him astatine the clip of the alleged rape.

The woman Hegseth yet began negotiating a non-disclosure agreement, which was signed astir two-and-a-half years aft the alleged rape.

'Hegseth powerfully felt that helium was the unfortunate of blackmail and guiltless collateral harm successful a prevarication that the complainant was holding onto to support her matrimony intact,' Parlatore said.

The lawyer claimed Hegseth felt it was successful his champion involvement to settee arsenic it was the tallness of the MeToo question astatine the time.

Incoming main of unit Susie Wiles was briefed Wednesday nighttime astir the allegation, Vanity Fair reported.

Wiles and Trump's lawyers spoke to Hegseth astir it connected Thursday. Hegseth told them the allegation stemmed from a consensual brushwood and called it a 'he-said, she-said' situation, a root told Vanity Fair.

Trump is lasting by his nominee, his unit said.

'Mr Hegseth has vigorously denied immoderate and each accusations, and nary charges were filed,' Trump communications manager Steven Cheung said.

'We look guardant to his confirmation arsenic United States Secretary of Defense truthful helium tin get started connected Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again.'

Hegseth's information to pb the Pentagon is controversial.

He is simply a seasoned of Iraq and Afghanistan with a fistful of subject medals, including 2 Bronze Stars.

But galore person questioned whether the 44-year-old co-host of 'Fox & Friends Weekends' tin grip managing the Defense Department, which has a fund of $842 billion, astir 3 cardinal employees and 750 subject installations astir the world.

He besides has a past of arguable statements and once called liberals 'domestic enemies.' 

And helium has said women should not beryllium successful combat for the US military, a constituent helium has made repeatedly including past week successful an interrogation with 'The Shawn Ryan Show' podcast.

'I'm consecutive up conscionable saying, we should not person women successful combat roles,' Hegseth said connected that podcast. 'It hasn't made america much effective, hasn't made america much lethal, has made warring much complicated.'

His enactment for combat veterans accused of warfare crimes besides has drawn criticism.

Many person questioned whether helium tin triumph Senate confirmation due to the fact that of his deficiency of experience.

Since 2019, Hegseth has been joined to his 3rd wife, Fox News shaper Jennifer Rauchet. The 2 were joined astatine Trump's National Gold Club successful Colts Neck, New Jersey.

'They volition person a fantastic beingness together,' Trump wrote connected Twitter of the marriage. 

Hegseth and his archetypal wife, Meredith Schwarz, divorced successful 2009 amid allegations helium cheated.

A twelvemonth later, Hegseth joined Samantha Deering. In 2014, 4 years into their marriage, Hegseth started moving astatine Fox News. 

There helium got progressive with Jennifer Rauchet, a shaper astatine the network. Rauchet was besides joined astatine the opening of her narration with Hegseth.

In 2017 the concern became nationalist knowledge. Hegseth was already a begetter of 3 kids with Deering, and, successful August 2017, helium and Rauchet had a girl together.

Hegseth and Deering divorced successful August 2017, the aforesaid period his kid was calved with Rauchet. The alleged battle successful California took spot successful October of that year.

One Hegseth state blamed the surfacing of the allegation connected GOP constitution members who are trying to thwart Hegseth's nomination.

'They'll effort to termination each these nominations earlier the confirmation vote,' the state said told Vanity Fair.