Hegseth police report detailing alleged sexual assault released
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A woman told police she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to 22 pages of graphic investigative reports made public late Wednesday.
The big picture: Hegseth, a former Fox News personality who is President-elect Trump's nominee to be Defense secretary, told police at the time that the encounter was consensual, and he denied any wrongdoing, AP reports.
Driving the news: Investigators were alerted to the alleged assault by a nurse who called them after a patient requested a sexual assault exam, the report says.
- The patient told medical personnel something may have been slipped into her drink.
Hegseth's attorney has said a payment was made to the woman as part of a confidential settlement because Hegseth was concerned she was prepared to file a lawsuit that could have resulted in him being fired from Fox News.
- A spokeswoman for the Trump transition said the "report corroborates what Mr. Hegseth's attorneys have said all along: the incident was fully investigated and no charges were filed because police found the allegations to be false."
Go deeper: Trump picks linked to sexual misconduct allegations
