Donald Trump's transition team was reportedly caught off guard by sexual assault allegations against defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth, but an analyst said that was a red flag for the incoming administration.
The former Fox News host paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to prevent her from filing a lawsuit that could damage his career, his lawyer confirmed, and CNN contributor Christine Quinn was astonished that Trump's team had not been aware of the allegations that California police had investigated.
"The vetting has been terrible because, as I understand it, there are police reports out there," said Quinn, the executive committee chair of the New York state democratic committee. "This wasn't deeply hidden information."
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The newly revealed allegations also raise concerns about Hegseth's trustworthiness, she added.
"It shows that the candidate is not being honest with the Trump transition team, and if he's not being honest about something like this, what else is he lying about?" Quinn asked. "Now we aren't just talking about controversy here, we are potentially talking about a crime, a crime that has a victim associated with it who allegedly has been deeply traumatized and hurt by this terrible criminal act. So how can you put someone like who may have done that in charge of such an important agency and such a huge part of our government?"
"It's about, why did this happen why was it hidden?" Quinn added. "If it wasn't true, you want to defend yourself, then tell people about it, stand up and say, 'I was wrongly accused.' When you're hiding it, it really makes it look like you committed the crime."
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