Scott Brown, With His Own History of Sexual Misconduct, Endorses ‘Abuser of Women’ Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense

Contact: Ryan Mahoney, ryan@amplifynh.org

Scott Brown, With His Own History of Sexual Misconduct, Endorses ‘Abuser of Women’ Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense

MANCHESTER, N.H. — Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown publicly backed Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense on Sunday, stating, “He’s taken his hits as well and come back appropriately.” Brown’s endorsement, however, raises eyebrows given the troubling histories of both Brown and Hegseth of accusations of misogyny and sexual misconduct against women. Brown is no stranger to allegations of sexual misconduct, with his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand in 2017 marked by accusations of sexually inappropriate and undiplomatic behavior. These incidents followed earlier allegations of misconduct during his time at Fox News, drawing significant media attention.

At Hegseth’s confirmation hearing, Senator Jeanne Shaheen pointed out that Hegseth has a long and recent history of  "straight-up saying we should not have women in combat roles," a concerning stance considering the 400,000 women who serve in the United States military.

In 2016, Brown was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior by a Fox News host. The accuser alleged that Brown made unwanted physical contact and inappropriate remarks during a social interaction, conduct that reportedly made her uncomfortable.

In 2017, this behavior became a pattern for Brown, who, during his tenure as U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand was accused of making sexually inappropriate comments to both men and women at an official event hosted by the New Zealand Defense Force. Brown reportedly commented on the physical appearance of female attendees, suggesting they looked “beautiful” and “fit,” remarks widely seen as out of place and unprofessional.

“Former Massachusetts Senator Scott Brown is no stranger to sexual misconduct allegations at Fox News. Perhaps he thinks getting away with sexually inappropriate behavior excuses Hegseth's abhorrent conduct,” said Amplify New Hampshire Executive Director Ryan Mahoney. “Of course, getting caught in the act didn't prevent Scott Brown from doubling down on sexually inappropriate behavior as a US Ambassador, so why should we expect any better of serial abuser and misogynist Pete Hegseth, whose own mother called him an ‘abuser of women,’ and who believes women shouldn’t serve in combat? Not only is this behavior disqualifying for Hegseth, Scott Brown is the last person who should be weighing in. He may not know New Hampshire values but this is not one of them.”

Also in 2017, Pete Hegseth fathered a child with a Fox News producer outside of his second marriage after his first marriage ended because of five separate affairs. Just after his second divorce and before his third marriage — and while fathering a young child — Hegseth was accused by another woman at a hotel in California, who reported to police that she had been at the hotel bar with Hegseth when "things got fuzzy," suggesting that her drink may have been spiked. She recalled "being in an unknown room with Hegseth," who allegedly confiscated her phone and prevented her from leaving. She stated that she repeatedly said "no" as Hegseth proceeded to have sex with her, leading her to seek a rape kit. Hegseth settled under a non-disclosure agreement.

In 2018, Hegseth’s own mother wrote him in a private email, calling him an "abuser of women...that belittles, lies, cheats, sleeps around, and uses women for his own power and ego." 

###

---

About Amplify New Hampshire

Amplify New Hampshire is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization founded to keep Granite Staters informed of the decisions made in local, state, and federal government that will impact their lives and empower them to enact change. For more information, visit amplifynh.org.