CNN
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President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team was informed of sexual assault allegations against previously elected member Pete Hegseth this week while announcing new cabinet picks, and has since been on the lookout for transition policy. That surprised several members of the Trump administration’s team, who had expressed doubts. Two people close to the situation said his nomination is a possibility.
President Trump announced that he would nominate Hegseth to be the next defense secretary after several days of consideration and little internal vetting of the veteran-turned-FOX News host. Within 48 hours, a complaint regarding sexual assault allegations against Mr. Hegseth was filed with the heads of Trump’s transition team.
The camp received information consistent with what Monterey, Calif., police announced on October 8, 2017, as an investigation into an “alleged sexual assault” involving Hegseth.
Hegseth was a speaker at a conference held by the California Federation of Republican Women at a hotel around the time of the assault, according to photos of the event posted on Facebook. Hegseth has not been charged with a criminal offense since 2017 or named as a defendant in a civil lawsuit filed in Monterey County, and his attorney has denied any wrongdoing.
However, due to the nature of the allegations, incoming chief of staff Susie Wiles was asked to question Hegseth in a phone call Thursday, a person familiar with the matter told CNN. Wiles asked Hegseth if there were any other issues the team should be aware of moving forward.
Controversy surrounding the appointment of the US Secretary of Defense
Hegseth had not been vetted by an outside firm before being announced. Some officials who previously worked with Mr. Trump during his last presidential term and who briefly considered Mr. Hegseth to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs said the same thing happened, although they did not elaborate. He pointed out that his life was short-lived because of this.
One source insisted that despite the surprise, the president-elect and his transition team are moving forward with the nomination at this time.
But in the days since, the allegations have shaken the already shaky selection of Mr. Hegseth, who runs the federal government’s largest agency with millions of military and civilian personnel and a budget of more than $800 billion. It became only. On Friday, there was public speculation around President Trump about whether Hegseth would ultimately withdraw his nomination, with some officials concerned that more damaging information could emerge.
The president-elect’s selection this week of Mr. Hegseth, who has no military or public service experience, as defense secretary surprised both Pentagon officials and the former president’s own allies.
However, President Trump’s communications director defended Hegseth in an earlier statement to CNN, saying that Hegseth “vehemently denies all accusations and no charges have been filed against him.”
“We look forward to his confirmation as Secretary of Defense so he can start on day one to make America safe and great again,” said Stephen Chan. said.
