Joni Ernst Refused Meeting With Hegseth’s Sex Assault Accuser: Report

On the eve of confirmation hearings for Donald Trump’s controversial Secretary of Defense nominee, Pete Hegseth, The New Yorker reported that Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) had declined a private meeting with the woman Hegseth allegedly paid to settle a sexual assault claim. Citing three sources, Jane Mayer of The New Yorker stated that Ernst’s office did not respond to inquiries about the reported invitation. However, Ernst’s office denied the claim to Rolling Stone, asserting that the senator never received or refused such an invitation and that no approach was made to her team. Notably, Ernst’s office has not formally disputed The New Yorker‘s account directly.