The police report detailing the sexual assault allegations towards Fox Information host Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s choose for secretary of protection, will make your abdomen churn.
In response to a 22-page report, Hegseth was accused of raping an unconscious sufferer within the early hours of Oct. 8, 2017, at a lodge after a Republican ladies’s convention occasion in Monterey, California. The alleged rape was first reported to police by an emergency room nurse who handled the sufferer.
The sufferer, listed as Jane Doe within the police report, mentioned she believes she was drugged on the occasion at a Hyatt Lodge, and “can’t bear in mind a lot of the night time’s occasions.” The sufferer mentioned she had approached Hegseth on the occasion and instructed him she “did not appreciate how he treated women” after she noticed him rubbing ladies “on their legs.”
Throughout the confrontation, Jane Doe remembered Hegseth telling her he was a “nice guy.”
The following factor she remembered was being in an unfamiliar lodge room and Hegseth blocking her from leaving it. She instructed the police he took her cellphone. Then she mentioned that Hegseth was on high of her and that he ejaculated on her abdomen and instructed her to “clean it up.” She remembered “saying ‘no’ a lot,” based on the report.
Via an lawyer, Hegseth claimed to The Washington Submit that the encounter was consensual. Nonetheless, he paid the lady to stay silent.
Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, added that the police decided that “the Complainant had been the aggressor in the encounter.”
Nonetheless, the report doesn’t corroborate that.
What the police report paperwork was that Hegseth and Jane Doe have been seen arguing by a pool on the lodge. A lodge worker, who responded to the incident, mentioned it was Hegseth who “began to curse” when the worker confirmed up, and instructed the worker that he had “freedom of speech.” How very Republican of him.
In an announcement to The Washington Submit, Trump marketing campaign spokesperson Karoline Leavitt didn’t handle the sexual assault allegation and mentioned Trump is standing by Hegseth to be secretary of Protection.
“Pete Hegseth is a highly-respected Combat Veteran who will honorably serve our country when he is confirmed as the next Secretary of Defense, just like he honorably served our country on the battlefield in uniform,” she mentioned.
Hegseth is merely the newest Trump Cupboard nominee to be dogged by allegations of sexual impropriety.
Former Rep. Matt Gaetz, Trump’s choose for lawyer basic, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s choose for secretary of well being and human companies, have each been accused of sexual misconduct.
Gaetz’s nomination to move the Division of Justice is in peril as allegations that he paid a minor for intercourse at a drug-fueled celebration are dogging his affirmation.
The New York Occasions on Wednesday reported that federal investigators, who probed the allegations towards Gaetz however determined towards submitting prices, had data of funds to the ladies who testified that they have been paid for intercourse by Gaetz.
The Home Ethics Committee additionally probed the allegations. However Republicans on the panel selected Wednesday to block the report from being made public—apparently caving to the desire of Republican Home Speaker Mike Johnson, who’s making an attempt to defend Gaetz from accountability.
The Hill newspaper reported on Thursday that Senate Republicans are frightened that Gaetz’s affirmation listening to will probably be like “Kavanaugh on steroids”—referring to the hearings for now-Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s Supreme Court docket choose who was additionally accused of sexual assault.
However given the brand new particulars of the rape allegations towards Hegseth, his affirmation listening to could possibly be simply as dangerous as Gaetz’s.
It’s unclear what is going to occur with Gaetz and Hegseth’s nominations. Nonetheless, Republicans are good at making excuses for sexual assault. Trump himself was discovered answerable for sexual abuse, and has been accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of ladies, but Republicans have stood by him your complete time. A celebration that’s absolutely rotten to the core.
