Pete Hegseth, the Trump administration pick for Secretary of Defense, finds himself at the center of a growing storm following resurfaced allegations of sexual assault. A 22-page police report, stemming from an incident in October 2017, accuses Hegseth of assaulting a 30-year-old conservative staffer after a Republican women’s event in Monterey, California.
The accuser, referred to as Jane Doe in the report, alleged that the events unfolded after an evening of socializing at the Knuckles Sports Bar, which adjoins the conference hotel. Doe told police she was introduced to Hegseth at the event on October 7, 2017, and later found herself at the bar where he was also present. According to her statement, she observed Hegseth behaving inappropriately toward other women at the conference, including rubbing their legs.
What followed, according to the accuser, was a hazy and disturbing chain of events. The woman reported having consumed alcohol but could not remember how many drinks she had. Her next memory, as outlined in the report, was finding herself in an unfamiliar hotel room with Hegseth. She alleged that he took her phone from her hands after questioning her about who she was texting. When she attempted to leave the room, she stated that Hegseth physically blocked the door.
Doe recounted saying “no” multiple times but described her recollections of the night as fragmented. She remembered being on a bed or couch, with Hegseth looming over her, his dog tags swinging in her face. At one point, she described him as bare-chested and later fully nude. The report states that her final memory of the encounter was Hegseth ejaculating on her stomach, after which he threw a towel at her and asked, “Are you okay?”
Her next clear memory was waking up in her own hotel room, though she could not recall how she returned there. Four days later, she filed a police complaint, presenting bruises on her thigh as evidence.
The allegations, which reportedly did not lead to criminal charges, remained largely unknown until recently. A friend of the accuser reportedly provided a memo outlining the claims to Trump’s transition team.
The Trump team has not wavered in its support. The president-elect is standing by Hegseth and is not expected to reconsider his choice for secretary of defense.
The 22-page report is included below.
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