No charges have been filed in the case, but shocked Trump transition officials are still weighing the next steps for the Fox News host, whose nomination took many in Washington by surprise.

President-elect Trump on Tuesday nominated the 44-year-old National Guard veteran to lead the world’s most powerful military, despite having never led a large organization.

Police in Monterey, Calif., confirmed Thursday that they were investigating “an alleged sexual assault” at a hotel involving Hegseth that included bruising to the victim’s right thigh in early October 2017.

News of the woman’s allegations caught the Trump team off guard, according to Vanity Fair, which first reported the story.

Hegseth’s attorney, Timothy Parlatore, told the publication that the allegation “has already been investigated by the Monterey Police Department and they found no evidence for it.”

And Trump’s communications director, Steven Cheung, said Hegseth “vehemently 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,” Cheung said.

Hegseth’s Senate hearing is likely to be among the toughest, not only because of his inexperience but also because of other controversies, such as his lobbying of Trump during his first term to pardon service members accused of war crimes.

Hegseth joined Fox News as a contributor in 2014 and now co-hosts “Fox and Friends Weekend” and serves as host for “Fox Nation.”

Additionally, he served as an infantry officer in the National Guard, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The allegations against Hegseth come as Trump’s pick for attorney general, former far-right congressman Matt Gaetz, stunned many after his long involvement in sexual misconduct allegations.

And Trump himself was convicted of financial misconduct for covering up payments to a former porn star and was found guilty of defamation and sexual abuse of an author.

Hegseth has been married three times, divorcing his first wife in 2009 after an “irretrievable breakdown” and “infidelity,” according to the Washington Post.

The second wife filed for divorce in September 2017, a month after she had a child with a Fox News producer whom she later married, according to US media.

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