GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that Pete Hegseth, the president-elect’s secretary of Defense pick, told him that he would release the person who accused him of sexual misconduct from her non-disclosure agreement.
“He told me he would release her from that agreement,” Graham (R-S.C.) told NBC’s “Meet the Press” host Kristen Welker. “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 faced a rocky road toward confirmation on a number of issues, including reports of sexual assault from 2017. He claims to have been “completely cleared” of the allegations.
A statement from Hegseth’s lawyer obtained by the Washington Post said that Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement — but continued to deny the accusations that she made. Releasing the woman from the agreement would allow her to speak publicly.
Graham compared the situation to that of Brett Kavanaugh’s 2018 Supreme Court confirmation.
“Five people accused Justice Kavanaugh of misconduct. Three were outright lies, the other two, I think, were not credible,” he said, referencing Christine Blasey Ford and other accusers. “So we’re not going to let that happen to Pete. You’re not going to destroy his nomination based on anonymous sources.”
When asked if he’s prepared to vote yes on Hegseth’s confirmation at this point, Graham offered a tentative yes.
“I’m in a good place with Pete, unless something I don’t know about comes out,” he said. “These allegations are disturbing, but they’re anonymous.”
Graham added: “He’s given me his side of the story. It makes sense to me. I believe him. Unless somebody is willing to come forward, I think he’s going to get through.”