Hegseth paid woman who accused him of rape $50,000, senator says

Pete Hegseth, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of defense, admitted to paying $50,000 as part of a settlement with a woman who accused him of raping her in 2017, according to Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts.

Mrs. Warren, a Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, tweeted a document on social media platform X Thursday, which her spokeswoman said Friday was included in Mr. Hegseth’s response to the senator’s written question. The existence of the settlement had been documented before his confirmation hearing this month, but the amount was not publicly known. Associated Press reported earlier about the disclosure.

“Mr. Hegseth, how much did you pay ‘Jane Doe’ as part of a non-disclosure agreement or other agreement related to this incident? the document says. The answer: ‘$50,000.’

Mrs. Warren wrote in the post, “We cannot rush to vote and trust him with our national security.”

Mr. Hegseth has said the rape allegation was false and that he agreed to pay the woman to protect his job as a Fox News anchor, his family and his marriage to his third wife. Police investigated the allegation and referred the case to the county prosecutor’s office, which declined to press charges.

The Senate is expected to vote on Mr. Hegseth’s nomination Friday night. On Thursday, senators voted 51-49 to advance his nomination to a final vote. The vote was largely along party lines, but two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voted with Democrats against the advance.

In addition to the rape charge, Mr. Hegseth has been accused of several years of alcohol abuse, which he has also denied. A former sister-in-law has also accused him of “violent” behavior towards his second wife, who has denied any physical abuse.

Republican senators have acknowledged that Mr. Hegseth is an unconventional choice to lead the Defense Department, but says he is qualified for the job.