Hegseth and Sen. JDVance (R-Ohio), Trump’s vice-president-elect, traveled to Capitol Hill Thursday to bolster support among lawmakers.
Hegseth, while on Capitol Hill in 2017, declared himself “completely clear” of the sexual assault case that involved Doe.
He said that being Defense Secretary was “an incredible chance” and he took it “very seriously.”
The Republican Senators appeared to be eager as well to move on.
Hegseth met with Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.), Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.), Markwayne Mullin (Okla.), Bill Hagerty (Tenn.), Eric Schmitt (Mo.), and incoming chair of the Armed Services Committee Roger Wicker (Miss.), none of whom expressed major concerns.
Barrasso stated in a Thursday statement that “Pete promised the Pentagon would focus on hard power and strength — not the current government’s woke political agenda.”
Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said: “Let them respond to this stuff. You know, give them a day.”
The meeting was held on the same day that the city of Monterey (Calif.) released a detailed report by the Monterey Police Department in response to a request for public records.
Doe, according to the report, was in a bar at the Hyatt Hotel, Monterey, on Oct. 7, 2017, when Hegseth was introduced as a keynote speaker for a Republican Conference event.
Doe claimed that she and Hegseth had a disagreement and went to Hegseth’s hotel room, where he allegedly assaulted and blocked her from leaving. She went to the hospital for an examination on sexual assault.
Hegseth said in the police report that the woman had hit him and taken him to his hotel room. Hegseth claims he was “buzzed”, and that the sexual encounter took place with consent. However, the woman later expressed regret for having cheated on her husband.
Hegseth, through his lawyer, has denied the allegations as well and accused the woman that she was trying to blackmail Hegseth.
In 2023, his attorney paid the woman to settle a threat of lawsuit. However, the lawyer claimed that it was not a confession but a reaction due to the fear of public backlash in the #metoo era.
