Witnesses say alleged victim in Pete Hegseth case appeared coherent during 2017 encounter

Witnesses in a 2017 incident involving Pete Hegseth, a Defense Secretary nominee, reported that the alleged victim, referred to as Jane Doe, did not appear drunk before or after their encounter. The police report indicates she seemed coherent and capable of caring for herself. Jane Doe claimed to have limited memory of the night, suggesting she may have been drugged. However, multiple witnesses described her as only buzzed, with one noting she was coherent and not intoxicated when interacting with Hegseth at the hotel bar. The incident occurred at a conference in Monterey, California. Hegseth's attorney maintains the encounter was consensual, while Jane Doe later sought a sexual assault exam after recalling the event. The two settled out of court in 2020.