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

Pete Hegseth paid $50,000 to sexual assault accuser, faces allegations of excessive drinking and abuse, Senate nomination advanced.

Pete Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Defence 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 has obtained.

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

Mr. Hegseth’s Attorney Timothy Parlatore declined to comment on the dollar figure Thursday (January 23, 2025). Mr. Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and denied any wrongdoing. He told Senators during his confirmation hearing last week that he was “falsely accused” in the 2017 incident and completely cleared.

The news of the payment amount comes the same day the Senate advanced Mr. Hegseth’s nomination along a party-line vote. Two Republicans, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Senator Susan Collins of Maine, broke with Mr. Trump and voted Thursday (January 23, 2025) against Mr. Hegseth, who also has faced 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 Mr. 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 2024.

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.”