Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality and Trump’s choice for defense secretary, was accused of sexual assault by a woman in 2017, according to a report by Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair’s story prompted a statement from the California city of Monterey, where the incident occurred along with a separate statement from Hegseth’s attorney.

The potential defense secretary’s candidacy has been boosted far more robustly by his former employer than by his possible future one.

An embattled Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, trudged through meetings and appearances on Capitol Hill on Wednesday as he fought to assuage senators’ concerns about his past behavior and push back on the steady flow of negative press that has followed him in recent days.

President-elect Donald Trump's defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth met with lawmakers on Wednesday to try to firm up support among Republican senators for his nomination. He is facing mounting allegations but denies any wrongdoing.