Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be the next Secretary of Defense, was investigated, but not charged, in a sexual assault case less than a decade ago, raising questions about the Trump transition team’s vetting process.
The Monterey Police Department in California investigated “an alleged sexual assault” involving Hegseth that took place in the early hours of Oct. 8, 2017, at the address of a Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa, which was reported four days later. The alleged victim’s name and age were not shared publicly by the Monterey government spokesperson, who released a statement on Thursday, following the reporting of Hegseth’s ties to the alleged incident.
There were no weapons involved in the alleged assault, and the victim was left with contusions to their right thigh.
“This allegation was already investigated by the Monterey Police Department, and they found no evidence for it,” Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, denied the allegation to Vanity Fair. Hegseth, whom Trump tapped to lead the Pentagon earlier this week, met with the president-elect’s chosen chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and Trump’s lawyers on Thursday, according to the outlet.
It would appear that the allegations were not known to the Trump transition team before Hegseth was announced as the pick to lead the Pentagon. Hegseth met with Trump’s incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, and Trump’s lawyers on Thursday, according to the outlet. Hegseth reportedly told Wiles that it was from a consensual encounter and reportedly said it was a case of “he said-she said.” The Washington Examiner reached out to Hegseth’s lawyers, seeking comment on the report.
Trump’s transition team has chosen to bypass the usual process of using the FBI to conduct background checks on at least some of his Cabinet picks, instead opting to use private companies, according to CNN.
Dan Meyer, a national security lawyer, who previously worked in the DoD’s Inspector General’s office, told the Washington Examiner that the FBI vetting process is more thorough than a standard background check.
“They are very thorough,” he said. “It’s much different than the standard government background investigation because the contractors do the standard, and it’s not a special agent doing the standard background investigation. There’s a whole army of retired FBI agents who do the White House screenings, and they’re very good at what they do.”
Some of Trump’s other Cabinet picks have questionable incidents or moments in their past that may or may not be flagged by a corporate background check. Recently resigned Rep. Matt Gaetz, whom Trump said he’ll nominate to be the next attorney general, has been accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a minor. His resignation stopped an ethics investigation into him from coming to light, though details have already begun to leak out from that investigation, and more would likely come out as Gaetz goes through the confirmation process.
He has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Trump reportedly decided to appoint him as attorney general during a flight when Wiles was not present, according to Politico.
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Trump also chose Tulsi Gabbard, the former Hawaii Democratic lawmaker turned Republican, to lead the intelligence community as the director of national intelligence. The position oversees all 18 U.S. intelligence agencies.
Gabbard was highly visible on the campaign trail for Trump, though her nomination as DNI has concerned some national security experts due to comments in support of world leaders widely viewed as U.S. adversaries, like Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad.