Police investigated sexual assault allegations against Pete Hegseth in California; here’s what they found

Pete Hegseth, a Fox News personality and President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, is under police investigation over sexual assault allegations.

In a detailed investigative report obtained by The Associated Press, the woman told authorities that in 2017, Hegseth experienced sexual assault after he took her phone, locked the door to a California hotel room and wouldn’t let her leave.

The 22-page police report was released in response to a public information request and details what the woman allegedly did.

RELATED: Lawyer confirms Pete Hegseth paid woman after sexual assault accusation

According to the AP, the report cited police interviews with the alleged victim, the nurse who treated her, a hotel employee, another woman at the event and Hegseth.

Hegseth told police then that the meeting with the woman was consensual and denied any wrongdoing, AP noted, citing the report.

Last week, local officials released a brief statement confirming that a woman had accused Hegseth of sexual assault in October 2017 after he spoke at a Republican Party women’s event in Monterey, California.

Hegseth’s lawyer said he paid the woman in 2023 to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit. The AP noted that the report did not indicate that police found the allegations false. Authorities recommended that a case report be submitted to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office for review.

What did the police find?

Authorities were first notified of the alleged assault by a nurse who called them after a patient requested a sexual assault exam, the AP noted, citing the report.

The patient told medical staff that she believed she had been attacked five days earlier, but had little memory of what had happened.

RELATED: Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense: Trump’s nomination surprises DC

She testified that something may have been slipped into her drink before she got to the hotel room where she believed the alleged assault took place. Authorities collected the unwashed dress and underwear she wore that night.

According to the report, the woman’s partner, who was staying with her at the hotel, told authorities he was worried about her that night when she did not return to their room.

At 2 a.m. he went to the hotel bar, but she wasn’t there. The report noted that she returned a few hours later, apologizing that she “must have fallen asleep.” A few days later, she told him that she had experienced sexual violence.

What did the woman say about the incident?

A woman who helped organize the California Federation of Republican Women meeting at which Hegseth spoke told authorities she witnessed the TV host’s inappropriate behavior throughout the night and saw him caressing the thighs of multiple women. The report states that she texted a friend that Hegseth had a “scary” vibe.

RELATED: How does Pete Hegseth’s experience compare to that of previous defense secretaries?

According to the AP, citing the report, after the event, the woman and others attended an after-party in a hotel suite, where she said she confronted Hegseth, telling him he “didn’t appreciate the way he treated women.”

The group of people, including Hegseth and the woman, left the hotel bar, and the woman told police that “the situation had become unclear.”

The report noted that the woman remembered having drinks at the bar with Hegseth and others, according to the police report. She also told authorities that she and Hegseth had an argument near the hotel pool, which was confirmed by a hotel employee who was dispatched to deal with the disturbance and spoke to officers.

The woman then told police she was in the hotel room with Hegseth, who took her phone and used his body to block the door so she couldn’t leave, and also told police she remembered her “saying no a lot.” according to the report.

According to the report, the woman noticed that her next memory was of lying on a couch or bed, with Hegseth hovering over her bare chest and her dog tags hanging above her.

After Hegseth finished, the woman recalled him asking if she was OK, the report said. She told authorities she did not remember returning to her hotel room and had since suffered nightmares and memory loss.

What did Pete Hegseth say about this incident?

Pete Hegseth said he was at the after party and drank beer but not alcohol and admitted he was “excited” but not drunk.

Hegseth said he met the woman at the hotel bar and she led him by the arm back to the hotel room, which surprised him because he initially had no intention of having sex with her, the report noted.

Hegseth told authorities that the sexual intercourse that occurred was consensual, adding that he asked her more than once if she was comfortable. Hegseth said that in the morning the woman “showed the first signs of regret” and assured her that he would not tell anyone about the encounter.

Court records obtained by the AP show that at the time of the alleged 2017 incident, Hegseth was in the process of divorcing his second wife, with whom he has three children.

She filed for divorce after Hegseth had a child with the Fox News producer, who is now his wife, the AP reports, citing court records and Hegseth’s social media posts. His first marriage ended in 2009, also after Hegseth’s infidelity.