 "Trump’s defence secy pick Pete Hegseth linked to 2017 sexual assault investigation: Report")
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth was the subject of a police investigation into an alleged sexual assault in 2017, according to a CNN report, citing local officials in Monterey, California, confirming on Thursday night.
According to the report, a spokesperson for the city of Monterey in a statement said the police department had looked into an “alleged sexual assault” involving Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army National Guard veteran.
The incident reportedly took place in the early hours of October 8, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa and was reported four days later, added the report.
At the time of the alleged assault, Hegseth was a speaker at a conference hosted by the California Federation of Republican Women at the hotel, said the report, citing photos from the event shared on Facebook.
According to the report, police did not specify Hegseth as an alleged assailant but said that he was involved in the investigation. It added that the Monterey police department said it would not release the full report or provide further comments on the investigation in accordance with California’s public records law.
Trump’s communications director defended Hegseth in a statement to CNN, describing the president’s early cabinet selections as “high-caliber and extremely qualified.”
“Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed,” CNN quoted Trump communications director Steven Cheung as saying.
“We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can get started on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again,” added Cheung.
Members of Trump’s transition team, including incoming Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, discussed the allegation with Hegseth on Thursday, and he claimed the investigation was related to a consensual sexual encounter, reported CNN, citing American magazine Vanity Fair.
Hegseth’s lawyer Timothy Parlatore told Vanity Fair that the Monterey police had investigated the allegation and found no evidence, said the CNN report_._
The city’s statement doesn’t clarify the outcome of the investigation.
A spokesperson for the Monterey County court confirmed to CNN that Hegseth has not been charged or named in any lawsuits since 2017.
Trump named Hegseth his pick for secretary of defense on Tuesday, surprising Pentagon officials and allies by selecting a nominee with no senior military or public office experience. Hegseth, a co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend, previously led several nonprofits and ran for US Senate in 2012.
Hegseth has criticised military leadership for focusing on diversity and has opposed women in combat, saying in a recent interview that “women shouldn’t be in combat at all. They’re life-givers, not life-takers.”
With inputs from agencies
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