**Peter Hegseth Faces Scrutiny Over Sexual Assault Allegations Amid Department of Defense Nomination**

Peter Hegseth, a military veteran and host of Fox & Friends, is currently under significant scrutiny following allegations of sexual assault. Hegseth, who has been nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, reportedly paid an undisclosed sum to a woman who accused him of sexual assault—a situation he maintains was consensual.

According to reports from the Washington Post, the woman who made the accusations signed a nondisclosure agreement after receiving the payment. Hegseth's attorney, Timothy Parlatore, stated that his client was "visibly intoxicated" during the incident and that the police concluded the woman had been the aggressor.

The allegations came to light after a friend of the accuser provided the Trump transition team with a detailed memo describing the incident. The memo claims that Hegseth sexually assaulted a 30-year-old conservative group staffer in his room after both had been drinking at a hotel bar in Monterey, California, in October 2017. Hegseth was there as a speaker for a conference held by the California Federation of Republican Women.

The woman involved filed a complaint four days after the alleged incident, citing bruises on her thigh as evidence. Hegseth’s attorney confirmed that a payment was made to the complainant in 2020 following threats of litigation from her side.

In a statement, Parlatore defended his client’s innocence, suggesting that the woman had taken advantage of Hegseth and later extorted him, particularly given the sensitive climate during the height of the #MeToo movement. He argued that any public allegation would have likely resulted in Hegseth's immediate termination from Fox News.

Amid these revelations, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung expressed support for Hegseth, emphasizing that Hegseth had "vigorously denied any and all accusations" and highlighting that no charges were filed. Despite these assurances, Hegseth's nomination for the role of United States Secretary of Defense faces heightened challenges, not only due to these allegations but also due to concerns about his lack of experience and perceived extreme views.