SecDef Nominee Pete Hegseth Denies Allegations Of Assault, Tattoo Claims

President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, released a statement through his lawyer addressing reports that he sexually assaulted a woman in 2017 and paid off the accuser. The lawyer stated that Hegseth paid the accuser to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. He also fielded allegations related to a tattoo of a cross on Hegseth’s chest.

Hegseth, a Fox News host who served several tours in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and holds degrees from Harvard and Princeton, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after an appearance at a Republican event in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by the City of Monterey. No charges were filed.