Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of defense, is offering to release a woman from a non-disclosure agreement related to sexual misconduct allegations from 2017, Lindsey Graham revealed on Sunday.
Speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, the South Carolina senator said Hegseth assured him in a private meeting that he would lift the NDA, giving the accuser an opportunity to speak publicly about her allegations.
“He told me he would release her from that agreement,” Graham said. “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.”
Hegseth has continued to deny the allegations. A statement from his lawyer, obtained by the Washington Post, confirmed a settlement was made while maintaining Hegseth’s innocence. According to police reports stemming from 2017, Hegseth took the unidentified woman’s phone before keeping her from leaving his hotel room, when he would then allegedly assault her.
While the nomination has been picking up some steam again on the Hill, it still faces significant public skepticism. A recent AP-NORC poll found only 17% of respondents approve of Hegseth, with 36% disapproving and 37% lacking sufficient information to form an opinion.
Graham drew parallels to the 2018 Brett Kavanaugh supreme court confirmation, dismissing what he characterized as unsubstantiated claims.
“Five people accused Justice Kavanaugh of misconduct. Three were outright lies, the other two, I think, were not credible,” Graham said, a reference to the witness Christine Blasey Ford. “We’re not going to destroy [Hegseth’s] nomination based on anonymous sources.”
Despite the ongoing controversy, Graham indicated he is prepared to support Hegseth’s confirmation, contingent on no new information emerging.
He challenged the accuser to come forward publicly, saying: “If people have an allegation to make, come forward and make it.”
Hegseth’s lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, previously told CNN that the settlement was made to prevent potential professional repercussions, characterizing the original agreement as a form of protection against potential career damage.
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