Trump nominee for defense secretary denies sexual assault claim but admits paying accuser

By Beril Canakci

ISTANBUL (AA) — US President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, acknowledged paying a woman who accused him of sexual assault, while insisting that the encounter was consensual.

His attorney Timothy Parlatore confirmed the payment in a statement and said Hegseth "maintains his innocence."

The revelation follows a report by The Washington Post on Saturday, which included a memo sent to the Trump transition team by a friend of Hegseth's accuser, detailing the allegations.

According to his attorney, Hegseth, a veteran and former Fox News host, paid a "significantly reduced amount" to settle the claim, worried that the accusation could damage his career at the network amid the #MeToo movement.

The allegations against the nominee for defense chief stem from an incident in 2017 during a conference of the California Federation of Republican Women in Monterey, California, where Hegseth and the unnamed woman reportedly had an encounter.

Local police investigated the claim of sexual assault in 2017 but did not file charges against Hegseth.

At 44, Hegseth, who served with the US military in Afghanistan and Iraq, has been nominated to take on his first political role leading the US military.

Before becoming defense secretary, he must win over a majority of the Senate in a confirmation vote, a process complicated by concerns over his inexperience and controversial views.