Politics
A theme in GOP attack ads in California House races: Linking Democrats to pedophiles over support for LGBTQ group
A not-so-subtle theme has emerged in recent Republican attack ads in battleground California congressional races: linking Democrats to pedophiles.
Take, for instance, the 30-second spot from the National Republican Congressional Committee attacking Democrat George Whitesides, the former NASA chief of staff who is challenging GOP Rep. Mike Garcia in the Antelope Valley in one of the nation’s most hotly contested races.
Melancholy piano music plays over images of an upturned bicycle and a set of empty playground swings. The camera cuts to a computer tablet displaying a messaging app.
“I’m literally the next block over. Come chill!” writes a user nicknamed SKTRDUDE293.
“ON MY WAY!!!” responds a girl, who looks about 12, with the user name SWIFFTIEE661.
The tablet is propped up in a cozy-looking bedroom next to a lava lamp, a mascara tube and a framed portrait of the girl and her dog. The camera lingers on the girl’s face before showing her photograph taped to a wall next to pictures of other kids in a dark, dingy-looking room where a laptop — apparently belonging to a child predator — has the same chat open.
“George Whitesides funded a group opposing pedophiles registering as sex offenders,” text on the ad says, referencing Equality California, one of the state’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organizations.
Another ad targeting state Sen. Dave Min (D-Irvine), who is running to fill the seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of Orange County, says that, because of legislation Min supported, “sex predators, including the creeps that victimize children, roam free.” The ad says Min is “endorsed by a group that helps sex offenders” — another reference to Equality California.
Sponsors of the advertisements say the focus on child sex crimes, while uncomfortable, accurately portray Democrats — and those who endorse them — as soft on crime. But critics say the ads are both inaccurate and offensive, based on homophobic and transphobic misconceptions about LGBTQ+ people preying upon children.
“This is the same playbook that right-wing extremists and their allies have used for decades, perpetuating the harmless and baseless stereotype that LGBTQ+ folks are inherently pedophiles,” said Tony Hoang, the executive director of Equality California.
An unprecedented amount of money — with some projections as high as $17 billion — is being spent on political advertising nationwide in this election cycle, said Steve Caplan, an adjunct instructor of public relations and advertising at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
“Crime and immigration typically are issues that have been used on the Republican side to affect elections, particularly in highly competitive districts,” he said.
The ads — which Caplan called an “attempt to shock voters” — indicate that Republicans see these House races as must-win contests, he said, because “media costs in Southern California are hugely expensive.”
California is home to 10 competitive House races that will shape which party controls Congress, making the state a consequential battleground this year.
Whitesides is a first-time candidate with no voting record to scrutinize. So, Republicans have zeroed in on his hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions to progressive candidates and causes, including Equality California. The group advocates for legislation advancing LGBTQ+ rights and works to elect candidates who support its mission.
Equality California, along with the L.A. County district attorney’s office, co-sponsored the controversial 2020 California Senate Bill 145, which was intended to end discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in sex crimes involving a minor and a young adult.
The law, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed, allows judges to decide whether an adult convicted of having anal or oral sex with a minor should register as a sex offender in cases in which the minor is 14 or older and the adult is not more than 10 years older than the teenager.
Before SB 145, an adult convicted under those circumstances was automatically added to the state’s sex offender registry, while an adult convicted of vaginal sex with a minor was not.
Proponents said SB 145 would address the disparity in state law that was a remnant of California’s old anti-sodomy laws, many since repealed, and that it would give judges more discretion to determine appropriate punishment when two people close in age — a 17-year-old and a 20-year-old, for example — are in a sexual relationship.
“SB 145 makes sure that everyone is treated equally under the law, nothing more or nothing less,” Hoang said.
The bill faced strong pushback from Republicans in the state Legislature, with some opponents using it to falsely claim that California was legalizing pedophilia. The recent attack ads have latched on to the controversy that roiled the state Capitol four years ago.
Republican Rep. Mike Garcia, left, is being challenged for reelection by Democrat George Whitesides, right, in California’s 27th Congressional District in the Antelope Valley
(AP)
Ben Petersen, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement that Whitesides “might not like voters hearing he bankrolled soft-on-crime groups, but the facts are clear as day. From zero cash bail to lower penalties for criminals including sex offenders, Whitesides’ money backed it all.”
Equality California endorsed a 2020 ballot measure that sought, unsuccessfully, to end the use of cash bail in California.
Whitesides’ campaign manager, Emma Harris, said in a statement that “as a father of two kids, 12 and 14, George puts the safety of his family before all else.”
“It comes as no surprise that Congressman Mike Garcia and his far-right friends are lying once again — because he knows he’s losing this race,” Harris said, adding that “unfortunately for the GOP, these baseless attacks on Democrats up and down the state won’t work, and voters will see right through these lies.”
Whitesides’ new ad emphasizes his support from parents and families, with one woman embracing two children and saying, “The lies they’re telling about George are disgusting.” The ad closes with Whitesides standing beside his daughter.
In a statement, Garcia noted that his campaign “has no control over third party commercials, but voters are now finding out the real George Whitesides.”
“He doesn’t have a long history in our district,” Garcia wrote, “so follow who he supports to know who he really is.” Among those Whitesides has supported, he added, are “radical groups that put our kids in danger.”
Whitesides’ support for Equality California also was highlighted in a new ad by the Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC that supports Republicans running for the House and has reserved $27 million for TV and digital ads in the L.A. area this fall.
The new anti-Whitesides TV spot features a woman who says: “I just learned today that he’s a major donor of a group that sponsored legislation to lower penalties for pedophiles.”
Courtney Parella, a spokeswoman for the super PAC, said in a statement that the ad is fair game.
“These California liberals may be upset they got caught funding extreme political groups and backing radical policies, but the fact remains — these measures weakened penalties for sex offenders, put minors at risk, and made it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs,” she said.
The Congressional Leadership Fund also paid for the anti-Min ad that blasts his endorsement by Equality California. Min is running a tight race in the 47th Congressional District against Republican Scott Baugh, a Huntington Beach attorney who served in the California Assembly from 1995 to 2000.
The ad criticizes Min for voting in favor of the controversial California Senate Bill 357, which rescinded misdemeanor laws against loitering in public for the purpose of engaging in prostitution. Advocates argued that it would stop law enforcement use of state loitering rules to disproportionately target Black, Latino and transgender Californians, while opponents said the bill would remove a crucial tool to stop sex trafficking, especially of children.
In the attack ad, a deep-voiced man, using a play on Min’s name, says: “Predators get minimal treatment. Abusive partners? They get the min. Child sex offenders? They get the min, too.”
Democratic state Sen. Dave Min, left, and Republican Scott Baugh, right, are running for California’s 47th Congressional District in Orange County
(Rich Pedroncelli / AP, Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
Min said in a statement that he was endorsed by police officers and deputy sheriffs and is “proud of my strong record on public safety as a State Senator, including authoring more than a dozen bills to protect survivors of sexual assault and abuse.”
He said Republicans were “lying about my legislative record, which is one of the toughest on crime in the State Senate” and that the advertisement was “especially odious in that it uses my endorsement from Equality California … to propagate the bigoted and hateful myth that gay people are child predators and groomers.”
Jon Fleischman, a spokesman for Baugh’s campaign, declined to comment on the ad, noting that “we do not control outside group spending.”
In Riverside County, an attack ad against Democrat Will Rollins says he is “backed by radicals who gave billions in taxpayer-funded stimulus checks to convicted felons including terrorists and pedophiles.” It, too, includes images of an empty swing set.
Rollins, a former federal prosecutor, is trying to unseat Republican Rep. Ken Calvert in another extremely competitive race.
The ad is a reference to Democrats in Congress who voted for pandemic-era relief bills that resulted in stimulus checks being sent to prisoners. (Republicans supported such bills, too, but later tried to stop payments to inmates against Democratic opposition.)
The “radicals” referenced in the ad are Congressional Democrats who endorsed Rollins, said a spokesperson for the Americans 4 Security PAC, which paid for the spot and is largely funded by the oil and gas industry.
Coby Eiss, Rollins’ campaign manager, accused “Republican super PACs in Washington” of lying about Rollins’ stance on criminal justice.
“As a federal prosecutor, Will had a 99% conviction rate and worked hand-in-hand with law enforcement on a daily basis,” Eiss said in a statement.
President-elect Trump has rounded out his picks for the top 15 positions within his Cabinet, handpicking an array of establishment and unconventional officials for top posts in just three weeks.
Trump has moved at a rapid pace to shape his upcoming administration, which stands in contrast to his first run at the presidency in 2016.
The president-elect’s picks have diverse ideologies united under Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
From Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s pro-choice stance to Oregon Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s pro-union stance and former George Soros adviser Scott Bessent, Trump’s Cabinet reflects a new era for Republican presidents.
GET TO KNOW DONALD TRUMP’S CABINET: WHO HAS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT PICKED SO FAR?
Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. waves to the crowd at a campaign rally for former President Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, Aug. 23, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
1. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – Secretary of Health and Human Services
Kennedy, a former Democrat, has been open about his pro-choice stance, much to the chagrin of conservative Republicans.
The former presidential candidate shared a video on social media this summer, writing in a post, “I support the emerging consensus that abortion should be unrestricted up until a certain point.”
He suggested that this limit should be “when the baby is viable outside the womb.” Viability is understood to occur around 24 weeks gestation.
Kennedy will likely be asked in his upcoming hearing the extent of his pro-choice stance. Several Republicans are wary of Trump’s pick for HHS, while others expressed confidence he would act in line with the administration.
“I would fully expect any of Trump’s nominees to be pro-life, as is President Trump,” Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., told Fox News Digital. “It does need to be addressed.”
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“I believe what he’s going to do is do the right thing,” Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said of Kennedy.
Trump’s softening stance toward abortion was a notable point during his campaign. Trump has said he would leave abortion to the states after of Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Trump notably opposes a federal abortion ban but has remained opposed to late-term abortions. In July, the Republican Party abandoned its long-standing position of advocating for abortions.
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Ore., participates in a House Transportation Committee hearing June 27. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
2. Lori Chavez-DeRemer – Labor Secretary
Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination received strong support from unions, which once stood at odds with Republican ideology.
The president-elect lauded her for working “tirelessly with both Business and Labor to build America’s workforce, and support the hardworking men and women of America.”
“I look forward to working with her to create tremendous opportunity for American Workers, to expand Training and Apprenticeships, to grow wages and improve working conditions, to bring back our Manufacturing jobs,” Trump said in an Friday announcement.
During her short stint as a House Republican, Chavez-DeRemer championed labor rights. She co-sponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which increased penalties for employers who break labor law and makes it easier to unionize. She also co-sponsored the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which would expand the powers of public sector unions.
Her candidacy for the post was backed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, whose president thanked Trump for the pro-labor pick.
“North America’s strongest union is ready to work with you every step of the way to expand good union jobs and rebuild our nation’s middle class,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien wrote on X. “Let’s get to work!”
Similarly, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler praised Chavez-DeRemer for having “built a pro-labor record in Congress.”
“But Donald Trump is the president-elect of the United States — not Rep. Chavez-DeRemer — and it remains to be seen what she will be permitted to do as secretary of labor in an administration with a dramatically anti-worker agenda,” Shuler said.
Scott Bessent, founder and CEO of Key Square Group LP, at an interview during the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee July 16. (Vincent Alban/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
3. Scott Bessent – Treasury Secretary
President-elect Trump nominated Bessent as his top economic official to implement “Trumponomics.”
Bessent made a name for himself at Soros Capital Management, where he worked as chief investment officer from 2011 to 2015. Following his work with Soros, he founded hedge fund Key Square Capital Management and was a key economic policy adviser and fundraiser for the Trump campaign.
He has been an advocate for economic policies like lower taxes, spending restraint and deregulation that have long made up the core of the Republican Party’s platform and has been supportive of Trump’s use of tariffs in trade negotiations.
In a statement, Consumer Bankers Association President and CEO Lindsey Johnson congratulated Bessent on the nomination.
“As an experienced and accomplished businessman, we applaud Mr. Bessent’s recent comments in which he has called for a surge in small business optimism, a smart deregulatory banking agenda and support for Main Street,” Johnson said.
“If confirmed, we look forward to working with Mr. Bessent to advocate for sound financial regulatory policy that enable banks to better support consumers, small businesses and the economy at large.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
4. Marco Rubio – Secretary of State
As America’s top diplomat, Rubio was plucked from his Senate term in Florida to serve in Trump’s upcoming administration.
Rubio, a former critic of Trump, has supported strong relations with foreign alliances, including NATO, advocating for a robust U.S. presence in the world. He has also publicly supported Israel’s war against Hamas and spoken out against continued aid to Ukraine.
“It is my Great Honor to announce that Senator Marco Rubio, of Florida, is hereby nominated to be The United States Secretary of State. Marco is a Highly Respected Leader, and a very powerful Voice for Freedom,” Trump said in a statement. “He will be a strong Advocate for our Nation, a true friend to our Allies, and a fearless Warrior who will never back down to our adversaries.”
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In a statement, Rubio, 53, said he was “honored” by the trust Trump “has placed in me.”
“As Secretary of State, I will work every day to carry out his foreign policy agenda,” Rubio wrote on X. “Under the leadership of President Trump we will deliver peace through strength and always put the interests of Americans and America above all else.”
WATCH:
5. Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defense
A combat veteran and former Fox News host, Hegseth was picked as the senior executive in the Department of Defense, which oversees the U.S. military and Pentagon.
Hegseth, who served as an Army infantryman in Iraq and Afghanistan as a member of the Minnesota National Guard, has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s national security approach.
Hegseth has been under increased scrutiny after former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s decision to drop out following sexual misconduct allegations. Hegseth is also facing sexual misconduct allegations from a 2017 encounter. Scrutiny increased late Wednesday night after police in Monterey, California, released a report about the allegations.
“The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared,” Hegseth told reporters on Capitol Hill Thursday. Through his attorney, he has also acknowledged the sexual encounter but has said it was consensual.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi addresses the Republican National Convention in 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
6. Pam Bondi – Attorney General
Following Gaetz’s removal from consideration for the nation’s top cop, Trump chose Bondi as his attorney general pick.
Bondi, a former Florida attorney general, was named by Trump hours after Gaetz withdrew. Bondi is a longtime Trump supporter who served on his legal team during his impeachment trial.
“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans – Not anymore,” Trump wrote in his announcement. “Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again.
“I have known Pam for many years – She is smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter, who will do a terrific job as Attorney General!”
WATCH:
7. Doug Burgum – Secretary of the Interior
North Dakota Gov. Burgum, a staunch advocate of expanded fossil fuel production, was picked as Trump’s secretary of the interior. Trump also named him to the newly created “energy czar” position.
Burgum has been an ally of Trump since he suspended his own presidential campaign. Burgum made energy and natural resources a key part of his campaign for the GOP nomination.
The president-elect said in a statement the newly formed National Energy Council “will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation.”
Brooke Rollins, president and CEO of AFPI, during the America First Policy Institute’s America First Agenda Summit in 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
8. Brooke Rollins – Agriculture Secretary
Rollins, who grew up on a farm in Glen Rose, Texas, was a surprise pick for the position. Others, including former Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., were floated as top contenders.
Rollins served as director of the Office of American Innovation and acting director of the Domestic Policy Council during the first Trump administration. Since her time in the Trump White House, Rollins co-founded the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute think tank.
“A proud Graduate of Texas A&M University, Brooke earned a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Agriculture Development, and J.D., with Honors,” the announcement said. “From her upbringing in the small and Agriculture-centered town of Glen Rose, Texas, to her years of leadership involvement with Future Farmers of America and 4H, to her generational Family Farming background, to guiding her four kids in their show cattle careers, Brooke has a practitioner’s experience, along with deep Policy credentials in both Nonprofit and Government leadership at the State and National levels.”
Howard Lutnick, chairman and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald and co-chair of the Trump 2024 Transition Team, speaks during a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden in New York Oct. 17. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)
9. Howard Lutnick – Commerce Secretary
Lutnick, 63, has served as the co-chair of Trump’s transition team and was a key fundraiser for Trump’s 2020 and 2024 campaigns.
“I am thrilled to announce that Howard Lutnick, Chairman & CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald, will join my Administration as the United States Secretary of Commerce,” Trump said in a statement. “He will lead our Tariff and Trade agenda, with additional direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative.”
The Commerce Department plays a key role in regulating international trade with the U.S. as well as promoting economic growth domestically.
There are several notable bureaus within the Commerce Department, including the Census Bureau, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Bureau of Industry and Security, which work on issues related to national security and sensitive technologies by enforcing export controls and promoting the health of the U.S. defense industrial base.
Scott Turner at the America First Policy Institute’s America First Agenda summit in Washington, D.C., in 2022. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
10. Scott Turner – Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Turner, 52, Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development, is a former NFL player.
He served in Trump’s first administration as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council.
“Scott is an NFL Veteran, who, during my First Term, served as the First Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council (WHORC), helping to lead an Unprecedented Effort that Transformed our Country’s most distressed communities,” Trump said in a statement Friday.
WATCH:
11. Sean Duffy – Secretary of Transportation
Duffy is a former Wisconsin congressman and former Fox News contributor and FOX Business co-host.
“Sean has been a tremendous and well-liked public servant, starting his career as a District Attorney for Ashland, Wisconsin, and later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District,” Trump said in his announcement Monday.
“Sean will use his experience and the relationships he has built over many years in Congress to maintain and rebuild our Nation’s Infrastructure, and fulfill our Mission of ushering in The Golden Age of Travel, focusing on Safety, Efficiency, and Innovation. Importantly, he will greatly elevate the Travel Experience for all Americans!”
HERE ARE THE MOST TALKED-ABOUT CANDIDATES FOR TOP POSTS IN TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION
Shortly after the announcement, a spokesperson for Fox News Media released the following statement: “Sean Duffy provided valuable insights and analysis in co-hosting the FOX Business Network program ‘The Bottom Line.’ As Duffy departs FOX News Media effective today, we wish him the best of luck in his return to Washington. Moving forward, ‘The Bottom Line’ will continue with Dagen McDowell joined by rotating co-hosts.”
Liberty Oilfield Services Inc. CEO Chris Wright, center, on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. (Reuters)
12. Chris Wright – Secretary of Energy
Wright, the CEO and founder of Liberty Energy, will lead the Department of Energy.
“I am thrilled to announce that Chris Wright will be joining my Administration as both United States Secretary of Energy, and Member of the newly formed Council of National Energy,” Trump said in a statement.
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According to Liberty Energy’s website, Wright graduated from MIT with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also completed graduate work in electrical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley and MIT.
“[Wright] is a self-described tech nerd turned entrepreneur and a dedicated humanitarian on a mission to better human lives by expanding access to abundant, affordable, and reliable energy,” the company’s website says.
The key Cabinet position announcement comes after Trump made energy independence and bolstering oil and gas production a cornerstone of his campaign.
President Trump shakes hands with Linda McMahon, the outgoing administrator of the Small Business Administration, March 29, 2019. (Reuters/Joshua Roberts)
13. Linda McMahon – Secretary of Education
McMahon serves as co-chair of Trump’s transition team and is a major GOP donor and a retired World Wrestling Entertainment executive.
Clips of McMahon’s body slams have resurfaced across social media in the days since the announcement of her appointment.
McMahon served on the Connecticut Board of Education for a year starting in 2009. She told lawmakers at the time she had a lifelong interest in education and once planned to become a teacher. She attempted two runs at the Senate as a Connecticut Republican, losing the 2010 race to Richard Blumenthal and the 2012 race to Chris Murphy.
McMahon then provided $6 million to help Trump’s candidacy after he secured the Republican presidential nomination in 2016. She served as administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term from 2017 to 2019.
Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., speaks during a campaign event in Buford, Ga., in 2020. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
14. Douglas Collins – Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Former Rep. Collins, R-Ga., is an Air Force Reserve chaplain.
Collins, 58, last ran for office in 2020 when he vied for a Georgia Senate seat and served two years as a Navy chaplain before joining the Air Force as a chaplain after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Trump praised Collins in the appointment announcement, saying he would be a “great advocate for active-duty service members, veterans and military families to ensure they have the support they need.”
“We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform,” Trump said. “Thank you, Doug, for your willingness to serve our country in this important role.”
Former President Trump listens as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during the Buckeye Values PAC Rally in Vandalia, Ohio, March 16. (Kamil Krzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images)
15. Kristi Noem – Homeland Secretary
Noem, who has served as South Dakota’s governor since 2019, has been a staunch Trump ally throughout his campaigns.
The Department of Homeland Security oversees U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
If selected, Noem would work with Tom Homan, who was announced as Trump’s “border czar,” and Stephen Miller, who was announced as the White House deputy of staff for policy.
Politics
A fateful night in Monterey: Drinking, conservative banter, sexual assault allegations involving Pete Hegseth
On the afternoon of Oct. 12, 2017, a nurse at Kaiser Permanente called the Monterey Police Department to report that a patient had come in for a sexual assault exam.
The woman, the nurse told police, said she had been sexually assaulted four days earlier while at a Republican women’s conference at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa in the coastal California resort town.
The alleged assailant — though his name wouldn’t be revealed immediately — was a popular Fox News Channel host and the keynote speaker at the conference.
The woman, identified only as Jane Doe in police reports, told the nurse she wasn’t sure she wanted to involve authorities and didn’t want to disclose the person’s name at that point. She had been suffering from nightmares and bouts of sobbing after returning home from the conference, but had little memory of the sexual encounter. She feared she had been drugged. The woman, who has not been identified publicly, could not be reached for comment by The Times.
The nurse referred the woman to an emergency room for a sexual assault forensic exam. But the nurse’s call — made as a mandated reporter — triggered a law enforcement investigation that included interviews with hotel staff, a review of surveillance video, discussions with several of the woman’s associates and a conversation with the alleged perpetrator, Pete Hegseth, who assured police the encounter had been consensual.
No charges were ever filed. Monterey County Dist. Atty. Jeannine M. Pacioni said no charges were supported by proof beyond a reasonable doubt. The two parties eventually reached a private settlement, after which Doe signed a nondisclosure agreement.
The story seemed to end there — until Donald Trump nominated Hegseth to be Defense secretary. Now that night in Monterey has become the centerpiece in what could be one of the most contentious Senate confirmation fights in years.
In recent days, a police report on the incident and other details have offered a clearer picture about the allegations. But much remains unknown, including why local prosecutors decided not to file charges against Hegseth.
Shortly after the president-elect’s announcement of Hegseth’s nomination, a friend of the woman wrote a memo to Trump’s transition team saying that Hegseth had raped the then-30-year-old conservative group staffer in his hotel room in the early morning hours after a banquet dinner at the California Federation of Republican Women conference.
In response, Hegseth confirmed the financial settlement, saying through his lawyer that he had agreed to pay the woman to protect his job at Fox. But he vehemently denied committing assault. The woman, Hegseth’s lawyer said in a statement, “was the aggressor in initiating sexual activity.” Hegseth had been “visibly intoxicated” at the after-party in the hotel bar, the lawyer said, and the woman had “led him by the arm to his hotel room.”
“The matter was fully investigated, and I was completely cleared, and that’s where I’m gonna leave it,” Hegseth told reporters at the Capitol on Thursday.
Revelations of the incident have set off a firestorm, both in Washington and among members of the California Federation of Republican Women.
Pete Hegseth
(Evan Vucci / Associated Press)
The federation is a nonprofit advocacy group composed mostly of retirees. Its members gather for luncheons, conferences and fundraisers to hear Republican politicians speak about conservative issues.
Many in the group were horrified that a favored conservative Republican Cabinet pick could be hurt by allegations.
“This thing is so f— bogus,” one of the organization’s officers yelled before hanging up on a Times reporter who called for comment.
This week, the Monterey Police Department released a redacted 22-page report detailing its investigation, including accounts of the recollections of Doe and Hegseth, along with several other attendees. Though police reports are typically not public in California, the document had been released because Hegseth had previously asked for a copy.
The police report offers the most complete picture yet of what occurred at the Monterey hotel on Oct. 7-8, 2017.
On the second day of the three-day gathering, Doe took a break in her hotel room where she was staying with her husband and at least one of her small children before the banquet dinner and keynote speech — the last major scheduled event of the conference — began at 6 p.m., according to text messages and sources with knowledge of the event.
Forty-five minutes later she texted with her husband from the banquet. The conversation turned to Hegseth.
“Our ladies are freaking drooling over him,” she wrote. She sent a photo of Hegseth standing at a podium holding a microphone and gesturing with his hand as he spoke.
“He doesn’t look even remotely familiar,” she said. “But apparently all the women know who he is.”
She continued: “He wears a ring on his pointer finger. It creeps me out.” She lamented that the event was taking so long.
After the banquet, the woman went to an after-party in another federation member’s hotel suite, where she had a glass of champagne. Hegseth was there too. A federation member who was there told police later that the woman “did not seem intoxicated, but had a buzz” at the event.
Around midnight, Doe, Hegseth and a second woman walked toward Knuckles, the sports bar in the hotel. Inside the bar, which has since closed, televisions and football helmets lined the walls. She texted her husband an update, saying that she was headed to the bar with a group of ladies. “Omg I have so much to tell you. This Pete dude is a … toooool,” she wrote.
While they were drinking at the bar, Hegseth allegedly put his hand on another woman’s knee. She told police that she made it clear it was “not acceptable,” but he still invited her to his room. She declined, according to the report.
Monterey’s Cannery Row
(Zen Rial/Getty Images)
The same woman tried to get Doe’s attention so she could act as a “crotch blocker” to deter Hegseth’s sexual advances, according to the report.
Doe told police that her memory started to get “fuzzy” while she was at the bar.
Around 1:30 a.m., Doe argued with Hegseth near the hotel pool about his behavior with women at the conference. He responded that he was a “nice guy,” according to the report. She later told investigators that Hegseth would rub women on their legs and she thought his actions were inappropriate.
A hotel employee who had been working that night told an investigator that guests had called the front desk to complain about two people causing a disturbance by the swimming pool about 1:30 a.m. The employee said that when he approached Hegseth and Doe, Hegseth cursed at him and said that he “had freedom of speech,” the report states. The woman intervened and said that “they were Republicans and apologized for Hegseth’s actions,” it said.
The staffer said the woman was “standing on her own and very coherent,” while Hegseth was “very intoxicated,” according to the report.
Doe placed her hand and arm on Hegseth’s back and escorted him toward the building where his room was, the employee told police. Hegseth later told an investigator he didn’t remember being chastised by the pool.
In the early morning hours, Doe’s husband sent her a text message: “Holy smokes lady…I don’t remember the last time you were socializing at nearly 2:00 a.m.” She responded, “Hahaha I know. I gotta make sure that to” — ending midsentence — and then stopped texting.
Her husband wrote back: “Doing ok? My love? Worried about you.”
Around 2 a.m. her husband went looking for Doe at Knuckles, but no one was there, he told investigators.
Doe next recalled being in a hotel room alone with Hegseth. She had her phone in her hand and Hegseth asked her who she was texting before taking her phone, she told police. She tried to leave the room, according to the report, but Hegseth blocked the door. She remembered saying “no” a lot, she told police.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for secretary of Defense, speaks with reporters in Washington on Thursday.
(Rod Lamkey/Associated Press)
Her next memory, she told police, was lying on a bed or couch with Hegseth’s dog tags hovering over her face. She said he ejaculated on her stomach, threw a towel at her and said to “clean it up” before asking her whether she was OK, according to the report.
Hegseth recalled the situation differently in an interview with authorities.
He told police that Doe led him to his hotel room, where things progressed between the two of them, according to the report. There was “always” conversation and “always” consensual contact between himself and Doe, he told police.
Hegseth recalled Doe displaying “early signs of regret” after the incident and said she would tell her husband she fell asleep on a couch in someone else’s room, according to the report.
Around 4 a.m., Doe returned to her hotel room and explained to her husband that she “must have fallen asleep.” She told police she didn’t start remembering what happened between her and Hegseth until she returned home the next day.
Richard “Ric” Grenell, the former acting director of National Intelligence in President-elect Trump’s first administration, is reportedly under consideration to be special envoy for the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Currently, there is no special envoy responsible for bringing an end to the war in Eastern Europe. Trump is strongly considering whether to create the role, Reuters reported, citing four sources familiar with the president’s deliberations.
If he does create the new position, Grenell is said to be a leading candidate, though Trump may select someone else, the sources told Reuters. There is also no guarantee that Grenell would accept the position if it were offered to him, the sources reportedly said.
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Ric Grenell, former acting director of National Intelligence, during the closing campaign event with former US President Donald Trump, not pictured, at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fox News Digital was previously told Grenell was under consideration to be U.S. Secretary of State. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was instead named to lead the State Department.
Neither Grenell nor the Trump transition team responded to requests for comment.
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Former Acting Director of National Intelligence of the U.S. Richard Grenell, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT), U.S. Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump and conservative radio host Glenn Beck participate in a private roundtable discussion during a campaign rally at Findlay Toyota Center on October 13, 2024, in Prescott Valley, Arizona. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)
Trump repeatedly made campaign promises to quickly resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, if elected, although he has never laid out a specific plan to end the war.
Grenell, an outspoken Trump loyalist, has made statements in the past that may be of concern to Ukrainian leadership.
‘NEW’ RUSSIAN MISSILE USED AGAINST UKRAINE NOT HYPERSONIC, DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAY
Former Acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell speaks on stage on the third day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 17, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
During a Bloomberg round table in July, he advocated for the creation of “autonomous zones” as a means of settling the conflict, which began after Russia invaded Ukrainian sovereign territory. He also suggested he would not be in favor of Ukraine joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the immediate future, a position he shares with many Trump allies.
Grenell’s supporters note he has had a long diplomatic career and has a deep knowledge of European affairs. In addition to serving as ambassador to Germany, Grenell was also a special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations.
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Prior to working for the first Trump administration, Grenell was a U.S. State Department spokesman to the United Nations under President George W. Bush. He has advised various Republican candidates and was a foreign policy spokesman for Mitt Romney during the 2012 presidential campaign.
Grenell was previously a Fox News contributor.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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