What to know about sexual misconduct allegations against Trump administration picks

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that former Congressman Matt Gaetz withdrew his nomination for attorney general on Nov. 21, after this article was published.

Four men Donald Trump is considering for his administration in a second presidential term have been publicly accused of sexual misconduct, including former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), Fox News host Pete Hegseth, former independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Trump has faced accusations of sexual misconduct by 19 women, and in 2023, a federal jury found him liable for the sexual abuse of writer E. Jean Carroll nearly three decades ago. Trump has denied wrongdoing and is appealing the verdict in Carroll’s civil case. Since announcing his planned cabinet nominations, he has largely ignored the sexual misconduct allegations against potential members of his future administration.

Here is what you need to know about the public accusations against the four candidates:

More: Who has Donald Trump picked for his Cabinet so far? Here's what to know

Matt Gaetz and a House Ethics Committee investigation

Trump announced Nov. 13 he intended to nominate Gaetz for the position of attorney general, a role in which he would oversee the U.S. Department of Justice. On Thursday, Gaetz announced on X he was withdrawing his name for consideration to serve as AG.

The U.S. House of Representatives Ethics Committee met on Wednesday but could not reach a consensus on whether to release the report on allegations of sexual misconduct by the former congressman. The decision was deadlocked along partisan lines, according to Pennsylvania Rep. Susan Wild, who is the top Democrat on the panel.

It is uncertain whether the probe will continue because the Florida congressman resigned his seat in the Republican-controlled House last week, hours after the president-elect unveiled his choice and as the probe was nearing completion. Gaetz denies any wrongdoing.

Two women testified in a House Ethics Committee investigation that he paid them for sex, according to the Washington Post and ABC News, who spoke to the attorney who represented them. One of the women also said she witnessed Gaetz having sex with a 17-year-old, according to the media reports.

In 2021, the U.S. Department of Justice investigated Gaetz for allegedly trafficking and having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old. Gaetz denied involvement and was not charged.

Since Trump tapped Gaetz to lead the nation's top law enforcement agency, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the committee's report should not be made public. But Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Oklahoma, on Sunday told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the panel should share its report with the Senate.

"The Senate should have access to that," Mullin said. "Should it be released to the public or not? That, I guess, will be part of the negotiations."

"These are baseless allegations intended to derail the second Trump administration," said Gaetz's spokesman, Alex Pfeiffer on Monday, in an email to Reuters.

Pete Hegseth reached settlement with accuser

Trump has picked as his secretary of defense Pete Hegseth, a Fox News commentator and an Army National Guard veteran who was involved in a 2017 sexual assault investigation, police confirmed.

City officials in Monterey, California, released a statement last Thursday confirming Hegseth's involvement in an investigation into an alleged sexual assault without disclosing substantial details on the incident or who the allegations were against, according to previous reporting by USA TODAY.

According to the police statement, the incident occurred sometime overnight between Oct. 7-8, 2017. The address listed on the report is that of the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa on Del Monte Golf Course. The incident was reported to police four days later, the release stated.

Hegseth paid an undisclosed amount to the woman who accused him of sexual assault because he feared losing his job at Fox News, according to a statement from his lawyer and documents obtained by The Washington Post.

Hegseth never faced criminal charges and denies the allegation.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. apologized to former nanny

Trump said he would nominate Kennedy to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a controversial choice for several reasons, including his skepticism about vaccines.

In an exclusive interview with USA TODAY, Eliza Cooney confirmed the allegations that Kennedy groped her after a yoga class in 1998 when she was 23 years old and working as his family's live-in nanny.

Kennedy publicly dismissed the assault allegation as part of his "rambunctious youth" but privately apologized to Cooney in a text message, since reviewed by USA TODAY.

Elon Musk, a $250,000 settlement, and SpaceX lawsuit

Trump tapped Musk to lead a new proposed Department of Government Efficiency to slash government spending alongside fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy.

In 2022, Musk denied an Insider report that SpaceX settled a $250,000 sexual misconduct claim made by a flight attendant for his aerospace company's corporate jet fleet. The woman claimed Musk exposed himself and rubbed her leg without consent, according to interviews and documents obtained by the media outlet.

In June, eight engineers sued the company and Musk. They said they were wrongfully fired after raising concerns about alleged sexual harassment and discrimination against women at SpaceX.

Musk has denied the allegations.

Reach Rachel Barber at [email protected] and follow her on X @rachelbarber_

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump administration picks who faced sexual misconduct allegations