By Manu Raju, Pamela Brown and Kaanita Iyer, CNN
Pete Hegseth, US President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for Defense Secretary, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill on 14 January, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo: AFP
Pete Hegseth, US President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Pentagon, has told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he paid US$50,000 (NZ$88,000) as part of a confidentiality agreement to a woman who alleged he sexually assaulted her, according to documents obtained by CNN.
In a written correspondence with the committee, Hegseth responded to a question from Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren about the sexual assault allegation, which he has publicly denied and contended was a "nuisance claim."
Hegseth, who was never charged with a crime in connection with the 2017 incident in Monterey, California, has said that he reached a settlement agreement that included a confidentiality clause with his accuser in order to prevent her from trying to tarnish his career as a Fox News host with allegations he says are false.
Hegseth's attorney Tim Parlatore confirmed to CNN in November that his client had paid the accuser years after the alleged incident. But the dollar amount, first reported by The Associated Press, had not been publicly known until Hegseth revealed it to the committee.
On Thursday, Parlatore again called the accusers claims false. "As we said from the beginning, these were false claims that we settled for nuisance value, much less than it would have cost to defend," the attorney said in a statement to CNN.
Hegseth is on his way to winning Senate confirmation after clearing a key procedural hurdle on a 51-49 vote. Two Republicans - Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine - voted against the nomination, citing his character and qualifications for the job.
During his confirmation hearing last week, Hegseth was grilled on a slew of allegations that have emerged since he was announced as Trump's defense secretary pick, including the alleged sexual assault incident following a speaking engagement at a conference held by a Republican women's group, workplace behaviour and his comments about women in the military.
According to a police report obtained by CNN, the woman told police that Hegseth physically blocked her from leaving a hotel room, took her phone and then sexually assaulted her even though she "remembered saying 'no' a lot." Hegseth told police that their encounter was consensual and that he had repeatedly made sure the woman "was comfortable with what was going on between the two of them."
Hegseth has also been accused of mismanaging funds at one nonprofit that he used to lead, and at another organization, former employees complained about his excessive drinking and treatment of female staff, according to The New Yorker.
One longtime Fox News producer told CNN years before Hegseth became Trump's pick that his drinking habit was an "open secret" on the set of Fox & Friends and that he had more than once noticed beer cans in the trash inside Hegseth's office.
Hegseth has previously acknowledged that he was drinking heavily as he transitioned from military to civilian life, but he denies having a drinking problem.
He has also been questioned related to his prior comments suggesting that women should not serve in combat roles.
Asked during his confirmation hearing about the remarks, Hegseth told the Senate panel that women make "amazing contributions" to the military, arguing that his comments questioning women serving in combat were tied to the military's standards and readiness.
"When I'm talking about that issue, it's not about the capabilities of men and women; it's about standards," he said.
-CNN
