President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to head the Department of Defense, Fox News personality Pete Hegseth, was investigated for an alleged sexual assault in Monterey in 2017, according to a statement released by the city on Thursday.
The city disclosed that it had one police report connected to an investigation from October of that year regarding an alleged sexual assault at an address on Old Golf Course Road. The alleged incident occurred between midnight and 7 a.m. on Oct. 8 and was reported four days later.
The report did not include the name of Hegseth’s accuser, and the results of the police investigation were not disclosed as it was exempt from California’s public records laws. No weapons were reported to be involved, but the victim reported a contusion to their right thigh.
Trump’s communication officer stated that Hegseth had denied all accusations and no charges were filed. Hegseth’s lawyer also mentioned that the Monterey police department found no evidence for the allegation.
Hegseth, a co-host of Fox & Friends weekend edition, is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard University. He is a best-selling author and a decorated Army National Guard officer.
The nomination of someone with no senior military or government experience to oversee the nation’s defense has raised concerns among some veterans and defense experts. Hegseth’s views on purging military officials who advocate for diversity and inclusion programs and questioning women’s service in combat have also caused controversy. Fox News expressed pride in his work and wished him luck in Washington.
The investigation and allegations have brought attention to Hegseth’s past and have sparked debate over his fitness to lead the Department of Defense.
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