Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday mentioned former Fox Information host and Pentagon secretary nominee Pete Hegseth would quickly launch a girl who accused him of sexual assault from a non-disclosure settlement.
“He instructed me he would launch her from that settlement,” Graham mentioned on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Yeah, I imply, simply take into consideration what we’re speaking about. I’d wish to know if anyone nominated for a high-level job in Washington legitimately assaulted anyone,” Graham added.
Hegseth, who was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump final month, has been dogged by a sequence of stunning allegations about his habits. An unnamed girl filed a police report after she claimed Hegseth assaulted her at a Republican convention in California in 2017. Hegseth has confused no prices have been filed within the matter and maintained the pair had a consensual encounter.
He paid the girl an undisclosed sum in a settlement in 2023 which included a non-disclosure clause. Tim Parlatore, a lawyer for Hegseth, claimed earlier this month he believed the unnamed girl had already damaged the settlement and threatened her with defamation proceedings.
Different studies included claims that Hegseth was pressured to resign from two veteran teams amid allegations of economic mismanagement. One other report included accounts claiming he recurrently confirmed as much as work at Fox Information smelling like alcohol. Representatives for Hegseth have denied the studies, though the person mentioned he would hand over alcohol if he’s confirmed to guide the Protection Division.
“I’m not going to have a drink in any respect. It’s not exhausting for me, as a result of it’s not an issue for me,” he mentioned earlier this month on “The Megyn Kelly Present.”
Graham mentioned Sunday he was in “ place with Pete” regardless of these accounts, “until one thing I don’t find out about comes out.”
“These allegations are disturbing, however they’re nameless,” the senator mentioned. “He’s given me his facet of the story. It is smart to me. I consider him. Except anyone is prepared to return ahead, I believe he’s going to get by.”
“Bear in mind, [Supreme Court Justice Brett] Kavanaugh,” Graham went on. “5 folks accused Justice Kavanaugh of misconduct. Three have been outright lies. The opposite two, I believe, weren’t credible.”
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Earlier this month Trump was reportedly contemplating changing Hegseth with different, safer selections together with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Invoice Hagerty (R-Tenn.).