Lindsey Graham Says Pete Hegseth Will Release Sexual Assault Accuser From NDA
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Sunday said former Fox News host and Pentagon secretary nominee Pete Hegseth would soon release a woman who accused him of sexual assault from a non-disclosure agreement.
“He told me he would release her from that agreement,” Graham said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“Yeah, I mean, just think about what we’re talking about. I’d want to know if anybody nominated for a high-level job in Washington legitimately assaulted somebody,” Graham added.
Hegseth, who was nominated by President-elect Donald Trump last month, has been dogged by a series of shocking allegations about his behavior. An unnamed woman filed a police report after she claimed Hegseth assaulted her at a Republican conference in California in 2017. Hegseth has stressed no charges were filed in the matter and maintained the pair had a consensual encounter.
He paid the woman 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 woman had already broken the agreement and threatened her with defamation proceedings.
Other reports included claims that Hegseth was forced to resign from two veteran groups amid allegations of financial mismanagement. Another report included accounts claiming he regularly showed up to work at Fox News smelling like alcohol. Representatives for Hegseth have denied the reports, although the man said he would give up alcohol if he is confirmed to lead the Defense Department.
“I’m not going to have a drink at all. It’s not hard for me, because it’s not a problem for me,” he said earlier this month on “The Megyn Kelly Show.”
Graham said Sunday he was in “a good place with Pete” despite those accounts, “unless something I don’t know about comes out.”
“These allegations are disturbing, but they’re anonymous,” the senator said. “He’s given me his side of the story. It makes sense to me. I believe him. Unless somebody is willing to come forward, I think he’s going to get through.”
“Remember, [Supreme Court Justice Brett] Kavanaugh,” Graham went on. “Five people accused Justice Kavanaugh of misconduct. Three were outright lies. The other two, I think, were not credible.”
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Earlier this month Trump was reportedly considering replacing Hegseth with other, safer choices including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.).
