Pete Hegseth’s Attorney Warns Accuser May Face Civil Litigation

On December 5, the lawyer representing Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth indicated that if his client is not confirmed by the Senate, the woman accusing him of sexual assault could be at risk of civil extortion and defamation lawsuits.

Tim Parlatore informed CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Thursday that the woman who accused Hegseth is now free to publicly share her account of the incident, as the settlement agreement had been breached; however, she could face legal consequences if “she doesn’t tell the truth.”

“Should she reiterate these false claims, then she becomes vulnerable to a defamation lawsuit,” Parlatore asserted.

“Honestly, in light of the breach of the agreement, if he is not confirmed as Secretary of Defense, we might still pursue a civil extortion claim against her.”

In later police interviews, the woman, known as Jane Doe, recounted being in a hotel room with Hegseth, claiming he took her phone and blocked the door to prevent her exit, as detailed in supplementary statements in the police report. She subsequently accused Hegseth of rape.

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Hegseth, a former host on Fox News, has denied the allegations, asserting that he was involved in a consensual relationship. He alleged that the woman fabricated the story out of regret over cheating on her husband, who had accompanied her to the conference and was staying at the same hotel that night.

The allegations first emerged in November following Trump’s nomination of Hegseth to head the Department of Defense.

Parlatore also mentioned that Hegseth had received his FBI background check forms on Wednesday and that they are currently in the process of review. He confirmed that a complaint regarding Hegseth from his tenure at Fox News will be provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee if they request it.

Parlatore stated to The Epoch Times on Friday that a defamation lawsuit remains plausible if the Senate approves Hegseth, should the accuser make any false public statements; however, damages could increase if Hegseth does not receive confirmation.

“If she wants to come forward and tell the truth, I would welcome that,” he commented. “I doubt she would; it would be very ill-advised for her, and I have no indication that she plans to.”

After Parlatore’s comments to CNN, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) accused him of witness intimidation, to which Parlatore responded that this was a misinterpretation of the law.

“It is perfectly legitimate to indicate that if someone plans to break the law, they will face consequences,” Parlatore explained to The Epoch Times, clarifying that intimidation would involve threatening someone from giving “truthful testimony,” as both he and Hegseth continue to assert that the woman’s claims are false.

“There’s a significant legal distinction,” he further explained.

Parlatore previously represented President-elect Donald Trump in his classified documents case, which was dismissed earlier this year by U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon.

The attorney proposed that the accuser write a letter to the Senate admitting she “made a mistake” regarding her accusations while keeping her identity confidential.

“This would significantly aid in resolving the matter,” Parlatore stated.

Hegseth remains committed to his nomination for Defense Secretary, and Trump has supported the former host amid the ongoing scrutiny. Hegseth has also faced prior allegations of excessive drinking and inappropriate sexual conduct at two veterans organizations he previously worked for.

A leaked email from Hegseth’s mother, Penelope Hegseth, from 2018, claimed he mistreated women. However, following the release, she appeared on Fox News to defend her son, noting that she sent a subsequent email apologizing for her initial allegations.