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Accessibility statementSkip to main content Democracy Dies in Darkness SubscribeSign in Advertisement Democracy Dies in Darkness PoliticsBiden administrationDonald TrumpThe FixThe BriefsPollingDemocracy in AmericaElections PoliticsBiden administrationDonald TrumpThe FixThe BriefsPollingDemocracy in AmericaElections National POLICE RECORDS REVEAL NEW DETAILS ABOUT SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION AGAINST PETE HEGSETH The incident has roiled Donald Trump’s transition team since the former president announced Hegseth as his pick for defense secretary. 5 min 2564 Pete Hegseth gets on an elevator after arriving at Trump Tower in New York in 2016. (Evan Vucci/AP) By Danielle Paquette and Jonathan O'Connell Updated November 21, 2024 at 11:46 a.m. EST|Published November 21, 2024 at 1:50 a.m. EST MONTEREY, Calif. — An emergency room nurse contacted police in 2017 after treating a woman who said that while drinking with colleagues after a political gathering several nights earlier she may have been drugged and was then sexually assaulted by a man she later identified as Pete Hegseth, according to records released late Wednesday by the Monterey Police Department. Get the latest election news and results A lawyer for Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for defense secretary, has said the encounter was consensual. Authorities declined to bring charges in the case. Hegseth later paid the woman an undisclosed sum as part of a nondisclosure agreement. The documents offer the most detailed account yet of the steps police took to investigate Hegseth as part of an incident that has been roiling Trump’s team since the former president announced the former Fox host was his pick to run the Defense Department. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement Skip to end of carousel TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION Follow live updates on the transition to Trump’s second presidency. We’re tracking the people Trump has picked or is considering to fill his Cabinet and key positions in his administration. End of carousel The accuser — referred to as “Jane Doe” in the 22-page batch of documents released in response to a public records request — met Hegseth at a Republican conference in Monterey, California, where he had been featured as a speaker. After observing Hegseth behaving “inappropriately” with women at the upscale hotel event, she said she confronted him, officers wrote, and the pair argued. “Doe” recalled Hegseth telling her that he was a “nice guy,” officers wrote. Her next memory was being in an unknown room with Hegseth, according to the police report. She stated that Hegseth then “took her phone from her hands” and blocked the door, according to the documents. “JANE DOE remembered saying ‘no’ a lot,” the report said. Story continues below advertisement The women consumed “much more” alcohol than normal that day, she told authorities, and much of the encounter with Hegseth occurred after things became “fuzzy,” she said, according to the documents. Advertisement Days later, the accuser told a nurse that she suspected “something may have been slipped” into her drink that October 2017 night, according to the police report. The records do not indicate whether investigators asked her about her suspicion that she may have been drugged. [See the full police report] Hegseth told officers that throughout the encounter, he repeatedly checked to ensure that the woman was comfortable. He expressed that he did not want to get her into trouble, according to the report. Hegseth said she showed “early signs of regret” the officer wrote, noting that he “did not elaborate.” Story continues below advertisement Timothy Parlatore, Hegseth’s lawyer, previously told The Washington Post that his client was “visibly intoxicated” that evening. Citing video surveillance footage that showed the two of them walking arm-in-arm with the woman smiling and looking coherent, he claimed that the woman was the “aggressor” that evening. The newly released records confirm his description of the video footage but do not address his characterization of the woman as the aggressor. Advertisement While one witness described the woman as “coherent” and Hegseth as “very intoxicated,” the records show, Hegseth himself told police he was “buzzed” but not intoxicated. “This confirms what I’ve said all along, that the incident was fully investigated, and police found the allegations to be false, which is why no charges were filed,” said Parlatore. Story continues below advertisement The papers do not say how police assessed the woman’s allegations and do not address the veracity of either side’s claims. “Pete Hegseth is a highly-respected Combat Veteran who will honorably serve our country when he is confirmed as the next Secretary of Defense, just like he honorably served our country on the battlefield in uniform,” Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman, said in a statement. The records support portions of a memo that a friend of the woman sent to Trump’s transition team last week. That memo alleged that the woman had tried to intervene after two other women attending the conference complained that Hegseth was being “pushy” about taking them to his room. Advertisement Story continues below advertisement Police interviewed two other women at the conference who said that Hegseth had placed a hand on their thighs and invited them up to his hotel room. One told officers that she asked Doe to help ward him off, according to the report. The accuser’s identity has not been made public, and she did not respond to messages this week. She filed a complaint with police days after the encounter. Hegseth’s attorney said Saturday that Hegseth agreed to pay her after she threatened litigation in 2020, fearing publicity could result in his termination from Fox News, where he was then a host. The Trump transition team was alerted to the incident after receiving the detailed four-page memo from a woman who described herself as a friend of the accuser. Story continues below advertisement The memo — a copy of which was obtained by The Post — alleged that Hegseth raped a 30-year-old conservative group staffer in his room after drinking at a hotel bar in Monterey, where he had been speaking to a California Federation of Republican Women conference. The sender of the memo did not respond to requests for comment. Dean Flippo, the Monterey County district attorney at the time of the incident, said over the weekend that he had no memory of the case. That’s not unusual, he added, because the office deals with a high volume of investigations. The current district attorney, Jeannine Pacioni, has declined to comment. Aaron Schaffer, Alice Crites and Chris Dehghanpoor contributed to this report. TRUMP’S SECOND PRESIDENCY Follow live updates on the transition to President-elect Donald Trump’s presidency. We’re tracking the people Trump has picked or is considering to fill his Cabinet. Here’s what a second Trump presidency could mean for America. Foreign policy: Trump tapped Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida) as his nominee for secretary of state. Here’s a look at Rubio’s foreign policy views and what Trump’s election means for key global issues. Health: Trump selected Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Here are some of his planned priorities, from vaccines to raw milk. Justice Department: Trump nominated Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) to serve as attorney general. Gaetz resigned from Congress days before an ethics investigation about him was due. Here’s why he is such a controversial pick. DOGE: Trump announced he is appointing Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to lead the “Department of Government Efficiency,” a new commission on cutting government spending and regulation. Here’s what we know about DOGE and the history of government efficiency commissions. What could change: Pete Hegseth, a Fox News host and veteran and Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, has said he would shake up the Pentagon, assailing the military as ineffective and “woke.” Trump has promised to close the Education Department, and many Republicans are with him. Here’s what that would mean. Show more Share 2564 Comments Trump's second presidency HAND CURATED * Live updates: Trump’s pick for the Pentagon to make case to GOP senators 1 hour ago * Tracking Trump’s picks for his Cabinet and administration November 20, 2024 * Musk, Ramaswamy vow ‘mass head-count reductions’ in U.S. government Earlier today View 3 more storiesView 3 more stories NewsletterWeekdays Early Brief The Washington Post's essential guide to power and influence in D.C. Sign up Subscribe to comment and get the full experience. Choose your plan → Advertisement Advertisement live updatespolitics3:25 PM GOP SEN. JOHN BARRASSO BACKS HEGSETH, WHO FACES SEXUAL ASSAULT ALLEGATION 3:18 PMReport: RFK Jr. once compared Trump to Hitler 2:56 PMRep. Greene to lead House panel focused on Musk-Ramaswamy government cuts 1:41 PMRep. Marcy Kaptur, longest-serving woman in House, retains seat Advertisement Advertisement Company About The Post Newsroom Policies & Standards Diversity & Inclusion Careers Media & Community Relations WP Creative Group Accessibility Statement Sections Trending Politics Elections Opinions National World Style Sports Business Climate Well+Being D.C., Md., & Va. 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