Hegseth's Confirmation Faces Assault Allegation Scrutiny

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary, is facing scrutiny over allegations of sexual assault made by a woman identified as 'Jane Doe' from an incident in 2017. The woman claimed Hegseth assaulted her at a hotel in Monterey, California, after a Republican women's event where he was a speaker. Although Hegseth denies the allegations, asserting the encounter was consensual, he admitted to paying the accuser an undisclosed amount to avoid a potential lawsuit. The police report details her accusation of being drugged and prevented from leaving a hotel room, although no charges were filed. The Trump transition team has not commented on the allegations, which could impact Hegseth's confirmation. Hegseth's attorney claims the woman extorted him, insisting his client is innocent and was the victim of blackmail.