U.S. Defense Secretary-designate's sexual misconduct scandal... Admitted to 'non-disclosure agreement'

Suspicions of sexual misconduct by Pete Hegseth, the nominee for defense secretary, and Matt Gates, the nominee for justice secretary, are spreading.

According to the Washington Post, Hegseth's legal representative admitted to paying a woman who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Hegseth in exchange for a contract to keep the case private.

However, we did not disclose the amount and timing of the payment.

Hegseth claimed that the settlement was made because he was concerned about being fired from Fox News, where he worked as a news presenter, and that he was threatened.

He also suggested facts such as that the woman did not start talking about the lawsuit until two years later, and that negotiations began in December of the same year when Hegseth sent a letter demanding an agreement in February 2020.

Hegseth is suspected of sexually assaulting a woman in her accommodation while attending a Republican women's party meeting as a speaker in 2017.

The woman reported Hegseth five days after the event, but police investigated Hegseth and closed the case without being sent.

Hegseth claims he had sex with the woman he met at the bar by agreement.

The New York Times (NYT) reported that Trump was even briefed on the payment of the settlement, but after a conversation with Hegseth, he said he would maintain his intention to nominate the candidate.

Anxiety about Gates, who is also embroiled in allegations of sexual misconduct, is also spreading within the Republican Party.

Sen. Markway Mullen of Oklahoma, a Republican, told NBC that the House Ethics Committee report on Gates should be released to the Senate.

Gates has been questioned by the House Ethics Committee over allegations that he had previously made sex purchases against a 17-year-old woman.

However, he resigned as a member of the House of Representatives immediately after his nomination as justice minister, making it unclear whether the ethics committee report would be released.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, has taken cover for now, insisting on the report's confidentiality, but opposition is reportedly continuing within the Republican Party.