Trump defence pick paid accuser to save Fox News job, but denies claim

President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to serve as defence secretary paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to stay quiet so he would not risk losing his job at Fox News, his lawyer has told the BBC’s US partner CBS News.

Pete Hegseth, a host at Fox, denies any wrongdoing and says the sexual encounter was consensual.

His lawyer told CBS that Hegseth paid a confidential financial settlement as he feared he would be sacked from his job at the news network.

The agreement deterred the woman from moving forward with a lawsuit, the lawyer added.

The lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, explained that the the woman and her attorney knew that filing a lawsuit “would cause an immediate horror storm for [Hegseth]”.

“The reality is that, had they filed [a lawsuit], civil process takes quite a while, and so Fox News likely would have fired him based on the allegation,” he told CBS.

Hegseth’s lawyer earlier confirmed that he had been investigated by California officials in 2017 over a sexual assault allegation. He was never arrested or charged.

The latest news comes just days after Trump named Hegseth as his pick to serve as defence secretary. The 44-year-old veteran will be responsible for the world’s most powerful military in his first political role, if confirmed by the US Senate.

Mr Parlatore told CBS he had spoken to Trump’s transition team after Hegseth was tapped to serve as defence secretary and explained the situation surrounding the allegation. He said he was unaware of any previous discussion Hegseth had with the team, or if they knew about the settlement.

The woman filed a complaint in 2017 with the Monterey Police Department, alleging that she had been assaulted by Hegseth at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa.

The Washington Post first reported Hegseth’s payment to the woman and obtained a memo sent to Trump’s transition team from a friend of the accuser. The memo accused Hegseth of raping the conservative group staffer after drinking at the hotel bar.

Parlatore told CBS there was eyewitness testimony and video surveillance that the woman was sober and grabbed him by the arm to lead him upstairs.

According to Parlatore, the woman made “false claims” against Hegseth two years after the incident and threatened to sue him. He sent her a cease-and-desist letter in February 2020.

Parlatore said he found out she had a lawyer for her case a year later.

Hegseth’s lawyer told CBS News the settlement payment occurred “a couple [of] years ago” but would not specify an exact date.

The allegation has not led to Trump reconsidering his pick for defence secretary, his transition team has said.

“President Trump is nominating high-calibre and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his administration. Mr Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed,” Trump’s communications director Steven Cheung said.