Hegseth says he's been 'completely cleared' of sex abuse allegations

Pete Hegseth says that he has been "completely cleared" of the sexual abuse allegations that have been leveled against him. 

ABC News reports that Hegseth made the claim on Thursday.

This all comes after President-Elect Donald Trump has chosen Hegseth to be the next Secretary of the Department of Defense (DOD). There will be more on this in a moment.

Hegseth, however, will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and this is why he took a trip to Capitol Hill on Thursday to meet will the Senators who will accept or reject his nominations.

"Completely cleared"

Hegseth has been accused of sexual assault.

The Hill reports:

A California woman told police that veteran and media host Pete Hegseth, President-elect Trump’s pick for defense secretary, sexually assaulted her in 2017 after he took her phone and refused to let her leave a hotel room, a detailed police report said.

The outlet goes on to report that the alleged victim "does not remember most of the night and believes she was drugged." The alleged victim does, however, claim that she was "raped."

Hegseth has denied the allegations. It is worth noting that he was never charged in the matter, but he did end up paying the woman in a settlement agreement that they reached. The settlement did not require him to admit to wrongdoing.

On Thursday, Hegseth, during his trip to Capitol Hill, said, "the matter was fully investigated and I was completely cleared and that's where I am going to leave it."

Looking forward

The big question going forward is whether the U.S. Senate is going to confirm Hegseth as the next Secretary of the DOD.

At the moment, the answer is unclear.

For those unfamiliar with Hegseth, Fox reports:

Hegseth, 44, an Army National Guard veteran who served tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo Bay, has hosted the FOX Nation "Patriot Awards" since 2019, which is the network's version of a Hollywood awards show honoring heroes like first responders. 

In addition to this, the outlet reports that Hegseth is "a married father of seven who lives in Tennessee." In recent years, he has had many roles at Fox News, and he has also written a bestselling book, called War On Warriors. 

Trump, in his nomination, wrote:

I am honored to announce that I have nominated Pete Hegseth to serve in my Cabinet as The Secretary of Defense. Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First.