Hegseth’s Attorney Issues Threat Against Female Accuser

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Pete Hegseth’s lawyer has warned that his client may pursue a civil extortion lawsuit against the woman who accused him of sexual assault if his nomination for Secretary of Defense is not confirmed. Attorney Tim Parlatore told CNN that while the accuser may not have committed criminal extortion, Hegseth could still bring a civil case for extortion if the nomination fails.

Parlatore referenced a 2020 nondisclosure agreement (NDA) signed during the height of the #MeToo movement, stating that the accuser’s public claims about the incident were a violation of the agreement. The NDA was initially signed after the woman was planning to file a lawsuit, but the agreement prevented further legal action until the recent public disclosure.

Hegseth faces allegations from a 2017 incident when he was the keynote speaker at a Republican conference in Monterey, California. The woman claims that after meeting Hegseth at an after-party, she woke up in a hotel room with him, with no memory of the night. She alleges that Hegseth took her phone and blocked her from leaving, leading her to believe she was raped and possibly drugged which means no charges were filed in the case. Hegseth has denied the accusations, asserting the encounter was consensual and that the woman later regretted her actions.

Parlatore argued that by taking the accusations public after Hegseth’s nomination, the accuser violated the settlement agreement, which could harm Hegseth’s career. He emphasized that the NDA is now void due to the breach.

In addition to the sexual assault allegations, NBC News reported that Hegseth is a problem drinker, allegedly showing up to work at Fox News under the influence. However, Hegseth and several of his colleagues, including Fox News hosts, vehemently denied these claims. Will Cain, co-host of Fox & Friends Weekend, called the allegations “bullshit” and stated that NBC did not contact him or others who worked closely with Hegseth. Other Fox News figures, including Rachel Campos-Duffy and Lisa Marie Boothe, also rejected the accusations, calling them false and malicious.

Hegseth’s supporters, including his colleagues, criticized the media for relying on anonymous sources to smear him, and they rallied behind his candidacy, accusing the media of perpetuating baseless attacks.