Tag: Ernst

On Monday, the night before hearings to confirm Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s embattled nominee for Secretary of Defense, were set to begin, The New Yorker reported that Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) — a key vote on the Armed Services Committee — had declined an offer to meet privately with the woman whom  Hegseth paid to settle a sexual assault claim. 

The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer cites three sources familiar with the overtures to Ernst’s office; Ernst’s office, she adds, did not respond to her inquiries about the invitation.

In a phone call and emails with Rolling Stone on Tuesday afternoon, Ernst’s office disputed The New Yorker report. Ernst’s communications director, Palmer Brigham, wrote in an email, “[Ernst] did not decline an invitation – because she did not receive or refuse one.” Brigham went on to insist that no one in Ernst’s office was approached about brokering a meeting with the woman in question. 

Despite its protests to Rolling Stone, Ernst’s office has not disputed the facts of the story with The New Yorker.

“The New Yorker spoke with several people with knowledge of an offer that was made to have Senator Ernst meet with Hegseth’s accuser,” a representative for the magazine told Rolling Stone. “Senator Ernst’s office did not respond to repeated questions from The New Yorker about her refusal to talk with the alleged victim and no one in her office has since requested a correction to the piece. We stand by our reporting.” 

Ernst, a veteran and survivor of sexual assault who has built a reputation as an advocate for female servicemembers and who was a key sponsor of the 2022 Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, is seen as a critical vote on the Armed Services Committee with the power to make or break Hegseth’s confirmation. 

Ernst initially appeared reluctant to back Hegseth, particularly in light of reports he paid a woman who accused him of rape. The former National Guardsman turned Fox News host was accused in 2017 of sexually assaulting a woman at a Republican womens’ conference in Monterey, California. The woman filed a police report after undergoing a sexual assault forensic exam at a hospital. No criminal charges were ever filed in the case. Hegseth has denied any wrongdoing, but admitted to paying the woman an undisclosed sum of money out of fear that disclosure of the incident “would result in his immediate termination from Fox,” his lawyer said. (Hegseth did not disclose the accusation to the Trump transition team before his nomination became public late last year.) 

The New Yorker reported that Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) also declined an offer to speak with Hegseth’s accuser. Sen. Collins’ press secretary, Blake Kernen, confirmed that the senator was approached by “a third party” — a person, whom she stressed, was not a representative of the accuser, “legal or otherwise” — but who offered to broker a meeting with the woman. 

“The senator received an inquiry from a third party about a potential meeting. There was no follow up from them after the initial discussion,” Kernen said in a statement. “Senator Collins believes when a person has allegations about a nominee that they feel are relevant, those allegations should be brought to the committee that will be considering the nomination.” (Unlike Ernst, Collins does not sit on the Armed Services Committee, which will consider whether or not to advance Hegseth’s nomination.) 

Ernst seems to have warmed to the idea of supporting the former Fox & Friends weekend anchor to lead the largest federal agency, following multiple meetings with Hegseth as well as threats from supporters of President Trump.

At Tuesday’s confirmation hearings, as Hegseth faced tough questions about his qualifications, his tattoos, and his relationship with alcohol, Ernst tossed him some of the mildest softballs. “As secretary of defense, will you appoint a senior-level official dedicated to sexual assault prevention and response?” she asked.

“Senator, as we’ve discussed, yes, I will,” Hegseth replied.

This story has been updated with comments from Ernst’s office and The New Yorker.