A report has come to light on “alleged sexual assault” involving Pete Hegseth, the nominee for secretary of defense.
City of Monterey police confirmed Hegseth was not charged in the incident that allegedly occurred at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course in October 2017, per NBC News.
The venue was hosting a convention of National Federation of Republican Women at the time.
No information was released regarding the alleged victim. The incident was reported on Oct. 12, 2017.
The alleged assault, first reported by Vanity Fair, happened between midnight Oct. 7 and 7 a.m. on Oct. 8.
The alleged victim, who had bruises on the right thigh, told police no weapons were involved, per ABC News.
“He was cleared,” Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy said, NBC reported. “There’s not much more that I can say. It didn’t happen.”
As CNN reports, “The city’s statement does not indicate what became of the investigation. Hegseth has not been charged in any criminal case or named as a defendant in any civil lawsuit filed in Monterey County since 2017,” citing a spokesperson for the county court.
Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, released a statementI the matter.
“President Trump is nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration,” Cheung wrote. “Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed. 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.”
Hegseth has been a controversial subject since his nomination as he has previously said women should not be in combat.
He would also like to see the military eliminate “woke” officials who “support diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” according to the NBC News report.
The 44-year-old Hegseth, is a combat veteran and was a captain in the Army National Guard. He served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
He began working at Fox News in 2014 and began co-hosting “Fox & Friends Weekend” in 2017.
