Politics

/

ArcaMax

Graphic details revealed in Monterey sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth, Trump Cabinet pick

Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times on

Published in Political News

LOS ANGELES — A woman told Monterey police that Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Defense secretary, took her phone, blocked her from leaving his hotel room and sexually assaulted her, according to a newly released police report.

On Wednesday evening, the Monterey Police Department released a 22-page report revealing graphic details in the 2017 assault claim filed against Hegseth, which did not result in any charges. The report reveals two starkly different narratives about what unfolded during a sexual encounter in his hotel room while the two were attending a Republican women's conference in the city in October 2017.

The woman, who is referred to as Jane Doe in the report, claimed that she repeatedly told Hegseth "no" during the alleged assault, and that he ejaculated on her stomach and told her to "clean it up" — an incident she said left her with nightmares, according to the report.

Hegseth told police that the pair had consensual intercourse and that he made multiple attempts to ensure she was comfortable during the encounter, according to the report.

His attorney has said that he entered a confidential settlement agreement with his sexual assault accuser for an undisclosed sum.

Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing since the accusation was revealed last week, and the Trump transition has continued to publicly support his nomination.

The recently released report brings more questions to what was already gearing up to be a controversial confirmation process for Hegseth's nomination as U.S. secretary of Defense. Hegseth, 44, is a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has been a Fox News host since 2017 and a contributor since 2014.

Hegseth was a keynote speaker at the 2017 Republican women's conference hosted at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa.

According to the police report, both Doe and Hegseth told officers that the two of them went with a group to the hotel bar after Hegseth's speech and an after-party hosted in a hotel suite.

Doe told police that she informed Hegseth she was uncomfortable when he touched her knee at the bar and declined his offer to return to his hotel room. The woman also reported that she observed Hegseth acting inappropriately toward woman at the conference, rubbing them on their legs and giving off a "creeper" vibe, according to the report.

 

The report contains conflicting information over how intoxicated each of them were. Doe had difficulty remembering some of the nights events and, during a sexual assault exam, later told a nurse that shes believed something might have been slipped into her drink, according to the report.

Doe remembered trying to leave Hegseth's hotel room and being physically blocked from doing so. She also recalled Hegseth wearing dog tags, ejaculating on her stomach and telling her to "clean it up." And she remembered saying "no" a lot, according to the report.

Hegseth recalled a very different sequence of events.

He told police that Doe led him to his hotel room, where things progressed between the two of them, according to the report. He told police there was "always" conversation and "always" consensual contact between himself and Doe.

Hegseth recalled Doe displaying early signs of regret following the incident and that she said she would tell her husband she fell asleep on a couch in another hotel room, according to the report.

Four days after the encounter, on Oct. 12, Doe went to a hospital to request a sexual assault forensic exam and brought with her the clothes she was wearing during the alleged assault.

Doe reported experiencing memory loss and nightmares in the aftermath of the sexual encounter, according to the report. An associate of hers also told officers that she had very little energy and would burst into tears out of the blue after the incident, according to the report.

Hegseth is a graduate of Princeton University, and has a graduate degree from Harvard University. He was decorated with two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman Badge for his military service. He left the military after President Joe Biden was elected, saying he'd been ordered to stand down from guard duty at the inauguration after top brass dubbed him an extremist and "white nationalist."


©2024 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

Comments

blog comments powered by Disqus

 

Related Channels

ACLU

ACLU

By The ACLU
Amy Goodman

Amy Goodman

By Amy Goodman
Armstrong Williams

Armstrong Williams

By Armstrong Williams
Austin Bay

Austin Bay

By Austin Bay
Ben Shapiro

Ben Shapiro

By Ben Shapiro
Betsy McCaughey

Betsy McCaughey

By Betsy McCaughey
Bill Press

Bill Press

By Bill Press
Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

Bonnie Jean Feldkamp

By Bonnie Jean Feldkamp
Cal Thomas

Cal Thomas

By Cal Thomas
Christine Flowers

Christine Flowers

By Christine Flowers
Clarence Page

Clarence Page

By Clarence Page
Danny Tyree

Danny Tyree

By Danny Tyree
David Harsanyi

David Harsanyi

By David Harsanyi
Debra Saunders

Debra Saunders

By Debra Saunders
Dennis Prager

Dennis Prager

By Dennis Prager
Dick Polman

Dick Polman

By Dick Polman
Erick Erickson

Erick Erickson

By Erick Erickson
Froma Harrop

Froma Harrop

By Froma Harrop
Jacob Sullum

Jacob Sullum

By Jacob Sullum
Jamie Stiehm

Jamie Stiehm

By Jamie Stiehm
Jeff Robbins

Jeff Robbins

By Jeff Robbins
Jessica Johnson

Jessica Johnson

By Jessica Johnson
Jim Hightower

Jim Hightower

By Jim Hightower
Joe Conason

Joe Conason

By Joe Conason
Joe Guzzardi

Joe Guzzardi

By Joe Guzzardi
John Micek

John Micek

By John Micek
John Stossel

John Stossel

By John Stossel
Josh Hammer

Josh Hammer

By Josh Hammer
Judge Andrew Napolitano

Judge Andrew Napolitano

By Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
Laura Hollis

Laura Hollis

By Laura Hollis
Marc Munroe Dion

Marc Munroe Dion

By Marc Munroe Dion
Michael Barone

Michael Barone

By Michael Barone
Michael Reagan

Michael Reagan

By Michael Reagan
Mona Charen

Mona Charen

By Mona Charen
Oliver North and David L. Goetsch

Oliver North and David L. Goetsch

By Oliver North and David L. Goetsch
R. Emmett Tyrrell

R. Emmett Tyrrell

By R. Emmett Tyrrell
Rachel Marsden

Rachel Marsden

By Rachel Marsden
Rich Lowry

Rich Lowry

By Rich Lowry
Robert B. Reich

Robert B. Reich

By Robert B. Reich
Ruben Navarrett Jr

Ruben Navarrett Jr

By Ruben Navarrett Jr.
Ruth Marcus

Ruth Marcus

By Ruth Marcus
S.E. Cupp

S.E. Cupp

By S.E. Cupp
Salena Zito

Salena Zito

By Salena Zito
Star Parker

Star Parker

By Star Parker
Stephen Moore

Stephen Moore

By Stephen Moore
Susan Estrich

Susan Estrich

By Susan Estrich
Ted Rall

Ted Rall

By Ted Rall
Terence P. Jeffrey

Terence P. Jeffrey

By Terence P. Jeffrey
Tim Graham

Tim Graham

By Tim Graham
Tom Purcell

Tom Purcell

By Tom Purcell
Veronique de Rugy

Veronique de Rugy

By Veronique de Rugy
Victor Joecks

Victor Joecks

By Victor Joecks
Wayne Allyn Root

Wayne Allyn Root

By Wayne Allyn Root

Comics

Bart van Leeuwen Gary Markstein Gary McCoy Tim Campbell Dick Wright A.F. Branco