WASHINGTON – Pete Hegseth, a popular Fox News host who is being nominated by Donald Trump to lead the Department of Defense, was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after an appearance at an event for Republican women in Monterey, California, according to a statement released by city. . No charges have been filed in the case.

Hegseth’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told The Associated Press that the allegations are “completely false.”

“This was investigated by the police at the time and they found no evidence,” Parlatore said.

Monterey city officials declined to release a police report documenting the allegations and instead issued a short statement Thursday evening in response to media inquiries.

According to that statement, Monterey police were contacted in October 2017 to investigate a sexual assault that had allegedly occurred several days earlier at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Monterey and involved Hegseth.

The person who reported the assault — whose name, age and gender were not released — had bruises on her right thigh. No weapons were involved in the encounter, the person told police. The incident occurred sometime between 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 7 and 7 a.m. the following morning, according to the city’s statement.

Hegseth was in town at the time to address the California Federation of Republican Women during a banquet at the group’s biennial convention, according to social media posts and promotional materials at the time.

The alleged attack was first reported by Vanity Fair Thursday.

Monterey city officials said they did not have more details included in the police report because it included analysis and conclusions by law enforcement authorities that are exempt from release under state public records law.

At the time of the alleged assault in 2017, Hegseth, now 44, was going through a divorce with his second wife, with whom he has three children. She filed for divorce after having a child with a Fox News producer, who is now his wife, according to court records and Hegseth’s social media posts. His first marriage ended in 2009, also after Hegseth’s infidelity, according to court records.

In a statement, Steven Cheung, a Trump transition spokesman, said the president-elect is “nominating high-caliber and highly qualified candidates to serve in his administration.”

“Mr. Hegseth has strongly denied all allegations and no charges have been filed. We look forward to his confirmation as United States Secretary of Defense so he can begin on day one to make America safe and great again,” he Cheung said.

Hegseth was intercepted by Trump this week to serve as secretary of defense. Hegseth developed a close relationship with Trumpwho apparently also considered him for a position in his first administration. Hegseth lobbied Trump to release service members accused of war crimes.

A staunch conservative who embraces Trump’s “America First” policies he pushed to make the army more lethal. During an interview on “The Shawn Ryan Show” podcast, he said that allowing women to serve in combat harms that effort.

“Everything about men and women serving together makes the situation more complicated, and the complications in combat, which means the casualties are worse,” Hegseth said.