The woman at the center of the 2017 encounter told police that Hegseth blocked her from leaving the hotel room and assaulted her despite saying no.

The Fox News host and the woman who accused him of sexual assault were in Monterey for the 2017 California Federation of Republican Women biennial conference

Pete Hegseth, who departed Fox News last week when he was chosen as Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Defense, now faces the disclosure of new details of a 2017 encounter in which a woman told police that he sexually assaulted her at a Monterey,

Although Prosperie filed a lawsuit against Hegseth after the incident, it was discontinued in 2019. “The parties have resolved the matter and will make no further comment,” Prosperie’s attorney, Brandon Cotter, told the Associated Press.

Hegseth began his career in public service by joining the U.S. Army National Guard. As an infantry officer, he served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, earning the Bronze Star Medal and Combat Infantryman Badge for his leadership in combat.

Hegseth, a U.S. Army veteran who has deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and transitioned into conservative media, has cemented his reputation as a divisive figure. Since joining Fox News in 2014, Hegseth has co-hosted Fox & Friends Weekend and other Fox Nation programming,

Trump has indicated that the revelations about the accuser and payment have not deterred him from Hegseth's selection as defense secretary.

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and Army combat veteran, has been nominated by Donald Trump to serve as his secretary of defense. Trump said in a statement: “Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops,

In addition to tapping the 'Fox & Friends' weekend host and Army veteran for a cabinet post, the president-elect announced that he'd be partnering with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on efforts to increase government efficiency.

A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Pete Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave