Pete Hegseth Falsely Claims He’s ‘Completely Cleared’ of Sexual Assault Allegations

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to oversee the entire U.S. military, was confronted Thursday by a reporter who asked point blank whether he raped a woman in 2017, as described in a police report.

“As far as the media is concerned, it’s very simple,” said Hegseth, who was on Capitol Hill to meet with senators tasked with weighing whether to confirm him as the next US defense secretary.

“The case was fully investigated and I was completely exonerated, and I’ll leave it at that,” he said.

The police report does not say Hegseth was acquitted; rather, he recommended that the case be referred to local prosecutors, the Associated Press reported.

Prosecutors may decide not to pursue a case for a variety of reasons, including the limited number of witnesses, whether jurors might find those witnesses credible and whether the alleged victims want to participate in the trial.

The incident allegedly occurred at a Republican women’s conference held at a hotel in Monterey, California, where Hegseth was invited to speak in October 2017.

The woman, whose name has not been released, went to a medical facility to be evaluated for sexual assault days after she said she woke up with vague memories of being attacked by the Fox host.

She had reportedly previously confronted him in a social setting because she felt he was behaving inappropriately towards other women. The woman wrote to a friend that Hegseth gave him a “creepy” impression, AP notes.

She said that in the evening “everything became fuzzy.” Hegseth allegedly took her to a hotel room, took her phone and did not allow her to leave. She said she remembers a shirtless Hegseth leaning over her with dog tags hanging over her.

The nurse who treated her contacted police about the accusation, the AP reported.

Hegseth, a Trump supporter, has faced other opposition to his bid to lead the world’s largest military. During his military service, he never reached a rank above major and lacks leadership experience.

Need help? Visit RHINE National Online Sexual Assault Hotline or National Sexual Violence Resource Center website.