Trump's Pentagon pick paid woman after sex assault allegation but denies wrongdoing, his lawyer says

Pete Hegseth walks to an elevator for a meeting with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York, Dec. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File) Evan Vucci

WASHINGTON -

Pete Hegseth, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's pick for defence secretary, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit, according to Hegseth’s lawyer.

Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women’s event in Monterey, Calif., according to a statement released by the city. No charges were filed.

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His lawyer, Tim Parlatore, told The Associated Press on Sunday that the sexual encounter was consensual and that the woman who made the accusation days later was the “aggressor.” That assertion has not been confirmed in the statement released by the city.

Parlatore said a payment was made to the woman as part of a confidential settlement a few years after the police investigation because Hegseth believed the filing of a threatened lawsuit could have gotten him fired from Fox News, where he was then a popular host. Parlatore would not reveal the amount of the payment.

“He was falsely accused and my position is that he was the victim of blackmail,” Parlatore said, calling it a case of “successful extortion.”

The Washington Post earlier reported details of the payment. The newspaper also reported it obtained a copy of a memo sent to Trump's transition team this past week by a woman who said she is a friend of the accuser that details the sexual assault allegations.

Trump’s transition team had no immediate comment Sunday on the memo.

The person who reported the assault — whose name, age and sex were not released — had bruises on the right thigh, according to the city's statement. No weapons were involved in the encounter, the person told police.

The incident occurred sometime between 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 7 a.m. the following morning, according to the city’s statement.

Hegseth was in Monterey at the time to address the California Federation of Republican Women during a banquet dinner held at the group’s biennial convention, according to social media posts and promotional materials from the time.

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Monterey officials said they were withholding further details included in the police report because it included analysis and conclusions by law enforcement officials that are exempt from release under state public records law.

At the time of the 2017 accusations, Hegseth, now 44, was going through a divorce with his second wife, with whom he has three children. She filed for divorce after he had a child with a Fox News producer who is now his wife, according to court records and social media posts by Hegseth. His first marriage ended in 2009, also after infidelity by Hegseth, according to court records.

After the accusations first surfaced last week, Steven Cheung, a spokesman for the Trump transition, issued a statement saying the president-elect is “nominating high-caliber and extremely qualified candidates to serve in his Administration.”

“Mr. Hegseth has vigorously denied any and all accusations, and no charges were filed. We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can get started on Day One to Make America Safe and Great Again,” Cheung said.

Associated Press writer Will Weissert in Palm Beach, Fla., contributed to this report.