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Latest news on sexual assault allegations, Senate clashes and more

Posted on by Taylor Reeves
Latest news on sexual assault allegations, Senate clashes and more

Topline

The mother of Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, previously accused Hegseth of abusing “many women,” The New York Times reported, marking the latest allegations that could complicate Hegseth’s confirmation process.

Timeline

November 29thIn 2018, Penelope Hegseth asked her son to “get some help and take an honest look at yourself” after “you abused all the women (and I know there are many) in some way” by being a man who “belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around and uses women for his own power and ego,” said an email obtained by The New York Times, although she told the medium that she yourself immediately apologized for the accusation, which she said was written “in anger, with emotion.”

November 25thCramer was noncommittal about Hegseth’s nomination, telling NBC News that the allegations that he sexually assaulted a woman at a hotel in Monterey, California, in 2017 were “a pretty big problem considering that we…” . a problem of sexual assault in our military,” he added, adding that the allegations highlight the need for background checks, telling the station: “I’m not going to prejudge him, but yeah, it’s a pretty concerning allegation. “

November 25thThe Guardian also reported on Monday new details from Hegseth’s 2020 book “American Crusade,” in which he criticizes the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the United Nations, calling the U.N. a “completely globalist organization that aggressively promotes an anti-American, Israel and… the anti-freedom agenda,” while claiming NATO is a “relic and should be abolished and redesigned,” and questions why “Islamist Turkey” is a member.

November 24thDespite the controversy surrounding Hegseth, a total of 33% of Americans polled by CBS/YouGov said he was a good choice for defense secretary, while 28% said he was not a good choice and 39% said they didn’t know enough about him heard.

November 20thNew details about the 2017 assault allegations emerged in a police report: Hegseth’s accuser told police in Monterey, California, that she was at an afterparty for a California Federation of Republican Women conference where Hegseth was a speaker when she Hegseth confronted him about his alleged inappropriate behavior toward other women at the conference, then ended up in a hotel room with him, where she remembers him shirtless on top of her floated and ejaculated on her stomach.

The woman, identified in the report as “Jane Doe,” told police she “remembered saying ‘no’ a lot” when she was in his room with Hegseth and that Hegseth “turned off her phone.” “I took her hand” and then “blocked the door of his body,” the report said, as she tried to leave.

Hegseth, who told police that the two had consensual sex that night, responded directly to the allegations for the first time on Thursday, according to the document, telling reporters at the Capitol: “As far as the media is concerned, it’s quite simple, the matter is “Fully investigated and I was completely cleared, and I’ll leave it at that,” when a reporter asked him if he had sexually assaulted a woman in Monterey.

November 19thAt least one other Republican senator, Joni Ernst of Iowa — a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who has openly criticized the military’s handling of sexual assault allegations — expressed reservations about Hegseth, telling Politico that the claims were worthy of “discussion.” , adding “Any time there are allegations, you want to make sure they are properly investigated.”

What you should pay attention to

Hegseth or any other Cabinet nominee who needs Senate approval can afford to lose just three Republican votes to be confirmed to the post, as the GOP will hold a slim 53-47 majority starting next year . Hegseth and Vice President-elect JD Vance are lobbying lawmakers on Capitol Hill, and other Republican senators have expressed support, including Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who met with Hegseth on Thursday, Politico said, he is a “strong candidate”. who “promised that the Pentagon will focus on strength and hard power – rather than the current administration’s woke political agenda.”

What are the allegations against Hegseth?

The sexual assault allegations first emerged days after Trump announced Hegseth as his pick to lead the Defense Department, through a memo sent to his transition team by a woman who said she was friends with the accuser. The accuser told police she went to the hospital where a rape test was performed after she had flashbacks to the incident several days after returning from the conference, the police report said.

How does Hegseth react to the allegations?

Hegseth has strongly denied the allegations through his attorney, Timothy Parlatore, who said Hegseth paid the woman a severance package in 2020 as part of a nondisclosure agreement. Parlatore said Hegseth made the agreement when he learned that the woman and her husband were hiring a lawyer and telling other people that she planned to file a lawsuit against him. Hegseth told police he was drunk that night and didn’t know why the accuser returned to his hotel room with him, but that they had consensual sex, according to the police report. He said the woman “showed early signs of regret” the next morning and assured her he would not tell anyone about the encounter, the report said.

Has Hegseth been charged with a crime?

No. Police recommended the case to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office for review, but no charges were ever filed.

What are Hegseth’s views on the military?

Hegseth – who served in the National Guard – has heavily criticized the military leadership and its handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. He also courted controversy for criticizing diversity initiatives within the military and calling for the firing of military leaders he said were linked to “woke” politics. He has publicly and privately advocated for military personnel accused of war crimes. Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that Hegseth wrote in his 2020 book “American Crusade” that if President Joe Biden won the election, the military and police would be “forced to make a choice” and that there would be “some form of civil war.” would give. Trump has previously indicated he would use the military to crack down on domestic opponents, whom he described as the “enemy from within.”

What did Hegseth say about women in the military?

Hegseth has argued that women should not serve in combat roles, which drew some criticism. In “The War on Warriors,” recapitulated by The Guardian in 2024, Hegseth reiterated his stance that only men should serve in combat roles. “If we are to send our boys into battle — and they should be boys — we must unleash them to victory,” he wrote, adding that they must be “the most ruthless” and “the most uncompromising.” The most overwhelmingly deadly they can be.”

What did Trump say about Hegseth?

Trump called Hegseth a “warrior” and “a true supporter of America First” in a statement announcing the nomination on November 12. The statement recognizes his service in the Army National Guard and his deployments to Guantanamo Bay, Iraq and Afghanistan, and his eight years as a Fox News anchor. A spokesman for Trump’s transition team told the Associated Press in response to the release of the police report on Thursday that it “confirms what Mr. Hegseth’s lawyers have said all along: The incident was fully investigated and no charges were filed because the police deemed the allegations to be true. “FALSE.” The report does not say whether officials have made a decision on the allegations.

Further reading

New Details Emerge About Sexual Assault Allegation Against Pete Hegseth: What You Need to Know as Trump Defends Defense Secretary Nominee (Forbes)

Police report details 2017 sexual assault allegation against Pete Hegseth (Forbes)

Trump Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth under investigation for sexual assault in 2017 (Forbes)

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