Washington
CNN
–
Pat Hegseth, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Pentagon, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that he paid $50,000 to a woman who alleged he sexually assaulted her under a nondisclosure agreement. of
In a written correspondence with the committee, Hegseth responded to a question from Senator Elizabeth Warren about the sexual assault allegation, which she has publicly denied, calling it a “disturbing allegation.” “was Hegseth, who was never charged in the 2017 incident in Monterey, Calif., has said he entered into a non-disclosure agreement with his accuser so that he could continue his career as a Fox News host. Can be prevented from trying to taint with accusations. .
But the dollar amount, First reported by the Associated Press, was not publicly known until he disclosed it to the committee.
Hegseth’s lawyer dismissed the accusers’ claims as false. “As we said from the beginning, these were false claims that we settled for a damages price, far less than it would have cost to defend,” Tim Parlatore said in a statement to CNN.
Hegseth is on track to win Senate confirmation after clearing a key procedural hurdle on a 51-49 vote. Two Republicans — Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine — voted against the nomination, citing their character and qualifications for the job.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
