Witnesses told police Pete Hegseth’s alleged victim did not appear drunk before or after the 2017 encounter – IJR

The woman at the center of sexual assault allegations against Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth did not appear intoxicated to witnesses before or after the sexual encounter, according to a police report of the incident.

The alleged victim, referred to in the redacted report as “Jane Doe,” said she does not remember details of how she returned from the bar to the hotel room with Hegseth or much of their tryst, possibly because she may have been under the influence of drugs or because she was drunk, the police report said. However, multiple witnesses who told police investigators what they saw that night in October 2017 said Jane Doe did not appear intoxicated before or after the sexual encounter.

The incident occurred at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa in Monterey, California, where Hegseth was speaking as part of a weekend conference organized by the California Federation of Republican Women. Although Jane Doe alleged that Hegseth raped her after a late night at a hotel bar, Hegseth’s lawyer argued that the encounter was consensual and that the allegations constituted de facto blackmail.

Hegseth Police Report by Nick Pope on Scribd

Jane Doe said she had consumed some alcohol that night, including a small amount of champagne and one drink at the hotel bar, and that she did not remember drinking any alcoholic beverages, according to the police report.

The first witness, another conference participant who was at the party and at the bar with Jane Doe, said she remembered seeing Jane Doe drinking “a little vodka,” but added that Jane Doe only seemed to be excited, and not completely drunk. The first witness told police that Jane Doe appeared to be “coherent” and not “intoxicated to the point that she was unable to ensure her safety” at the hotel bar, according to the police report.

This witness also reported that Jane Doe and another unidentified woman whom Hegseth allegedly asked to return to his room flirted with Hegseth at the bar, such as touching his arm.

A police officer reviewed available hotel surveillance footage and observed Hegseth and Jane Doe exiting the adjacent hotel bar “with their arms crossed” and noted that “neither had an unsteady gait.”

The unidentified woman Hegseth followed into the bar before he ended up with Jane Doe told police that Jane Doe did not look or act like someone who was intoxicated when they last saw each other that night after closing bar. The witness added that Jane Doe acted normally the next day and did not act as if she had a hangover or was out of sorts.

According to the police report, at some point after Hegseth and Jane Doe left the hotel bar, the pair got into an argument of sorts near the hotel pool, prompting other guests to file noise complaints given the time of night the disturbance occurred, according to police report. The man working the front desk at the time went to the pool to resolve the problem.

While speaking with Jane Doe and Hegseth, the front desk attendant noted that Hegseth appeared to be quite intoxicated, while Jane Doe was “not intoxicated, standing on her own and very coherent,” according to the police report. The front desk employee reported that Jane Doe subsequently placed her hand on Hegseth’s back and led him away from the scene.

Hegseth told police he did not remember any altercations at the hotel pool or acting aggressively with anyone, according to the report.

Notably, Jane Doe’s husband and children were also staying at the same hotel that weekend, and he and Jane Doe exchanged text messages that night, according to the police report. He eventually became concerned about his wife and went looking for her around the hotel grounds, but could not find her.

Subsequently, around 4 a.m., Jane Doe returned to the hotel room where she and her husband were staying and let herself in, later telling police she did not remember returning, according to police. report. Jane Doe told her husband that she accidentally fell asleep somewhere else, and the husband noted that she “did not have difficulty walking or slurred her words.”

Jane Doe and her husband had sex on the Monday after a weekend conference, which Jane Doe said triggered memories of her encounter with Hegseth and ultimately prompted her to get tested for sexual assault.

Hegseth told police that the encounter was consensual and that he maintained dialogue with Jane Doe at all times to ensure her consent remained intact. Without elaborating, Hegseth told police he noticed Jane Doe’s “early signs of regret” shortly after they finished having sex.

Hegseth and Jane Doe ultimately settled out of court in 2020, with Hegseth’s lawyer stating that Hegseth decided to settle the case because he feared the allegations would ruin his Fox News career if they became public.

Trump’s transition team was reportedly “blindsided” by the allegations against Hegseth when they first heard about them after President-elect Donald Trump announced Hegseth as his pick to lead the Pentagon. While corporate media outlets have expanded on the graphic details contained in the police report since it became public Wednesday, it is unclear whether the situation will impact his ability to be confirmed by the Republican majority in the Senate.