WASHINGTON (AP) — The lawyer for Pete Hegseth says that Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women’s event in Monterey, California. No charges were filed. Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, said Sunday that the sexual encounter was consensual. Parlatore said a payment was made to the woman as part of a confidential settlement because Hegseth believed the filing of the threatened lawsuit could have gotten him fired from Fox News, where he was then a popular host.
