A sexual assault allegation against President-Elect Donald Trump's defense secretary nominee, Pete Hegseth, has drawn significant attention amid his potential appointment to a key cabinet position.
According to Breitbart News, a recently released 2017 police report obtained through a freedom of information request presents evidence that challenges the sexual assault allegation made against Hegseth, which allegedly occurred during a Republican women's conference in Monterey, California.
The police investigation uncovered surveillance footage, eyewitness accounts, and conflicting statements that paint a different picture of the events that transpired at the hotel.
Multiple witnesses observed interactions between Hegseth and the accuser before the alleged incident, with hotel staff and other conference attendees providing detailed accounts of their behavior throughout the evening.
The police report documented statements from hotel employees who witnessed crucial moments leading up to the incident. A hotel worker reported receiving noise complaints about a couple near the pool around 1:30 a.m.
The same worker observed the accuser, who appeared coherent, guiding an intoxicated Hegseth away from the pool area toward his room. Surveillance footage from the hotel showed the pair leaving the bar together with locked arms at approximately 1:15 a.m.
Several eyewitnesses provided accounts that contradicted the accuser's claims of being drugged. One witness specifically noted observing the accuser flirting with Hegseth, which included physical contact. The same witness reported that the accuser appeared normal the following morning, showing no signs of distress or unusual behavior.
The investigation revealed text messages sent by the accuser to her husband earlier that day, expressing interest in Hegseth's presence at the conference. These messages, combined with her subsequent behavior documented by witnesses and surveillance footage, raised questions about the nature of the encounter.
Former Fox News anchor and attorney Megyn Kelly offered her analysis of the situation after reviewing the police report. Kelly stated:
This smells like utter bullsh*t. All of this sounds much more consistent with a woman who had a booty call.
Tim Parlatore, Hegseth's attorney, presented a different perspective on the events, suggesting that his client was actually the vulnerable party.
Parlatore told Breitbart News:
She took advantage of him. She led him. She was, by all accounts, both video and eyewitness, she was sober. He was drunk. She grabbed him. She took him to his room. And really putting it on, and she gets him into his room. And then the police honestly, when they looked at it, even though she was the one that reported it, when they looked at the video, they considered charging her.
The emergence of this police report comes at a crucial moment as Pete Hegseth faces consideration for the position of defense secretary in President-Elect Trump's upcoming administration. The document, which spans back to 2017, reveals multiple discrepancies in the accuser's account while providing substantial evidence through surveillance footage, witness testimonies, and hotel staff statements.
The investigation's findings will likely play a significant role in the confirmation process for Hegseth's potential appointment to lead the Department of Defense. The case highlights the importance of thorough investigation and documentation in addressing serious allegations against public figures, particularly those under consideration for high-level government positions.
