Pete Hegseth falsely claims to have been “completely cleared” of sexual assault allegations

President-elect Donald Trumpchose to oversee the entire US military, former Fox News personality Pete Hegsethon Thursday met with a reporter who asked point blank if he raped a woman in 2017, as described in police report.

“As far as the media is concerned, it’s very simple,” said Hegseth, who was on Capitol Hill to meet with senators who were to consider whether to confirm him as the next U.S. defense secretary.

“The matter has been thoroughly investigated and I have been fully explained and I will leave it at that,” he said.

The police report does not indicate that Hegseth was cleared of any wrongdoing; rather, she recommended turning the case over to local prosecutors for review, according to the Associated Press.

Prosecutors may decide not to pursue a case for a number of reasons, including the limited availability of witnesses, whether a jury may find those witnesses credible and whether the alleged victims wish to participate in the trial.

The incident allegedly occurred during a Republican women’s conference held at a hotel in Monterey, California, where Hegseth was invited to speak in October 2017.

The woman, whose name has not been made public, checked into a medical facility for a sexual assault evaluation days after she said she woke up with a vague memory of being assaulted by the Fox host.

According to reports, she had confronted him earlier, in company, because she believed he was behaving inappropriately towards other women. The AP noted that the woman texted a friend that Hegseth had something “scarier” about him.

In the evening, she stated that “things got complicated”. Hegseth allegedly took her to a hotel room, took her phone and prevented her from leaving. She said she remembered a shirtless Hegseth leaning over her and a dog tag hanging above her.

According to AP, the nurse who treated her contacted the police about the allegation.

Hegseth, a Trump supporter, has faced further backlash against his attempt to lead the world’s largest army. While serving in the Army, he never rose to the rank of major and lacks leadership experience.

Need help? Visit RAINN’s National sexual violence hotline or National Sexual Violence Resource Center website.