Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) questioned Pete Hegseth, president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, about a past allegation of sexual assault during a hearing on Tuesday.

According to MSNBC, Sen. Hirono was the first Senator to question Hegseth about a sexual assault allegation brought against him in 2017.

Before she began her questioning, Sen. Hirono told Hegseth she had concerns about his character and fitness. She then explained that she routinely asks the following two questions to ensure the fitness of a nominee.

“First, since you became a legal adult, have you ever made unwanted requests for sexual favors or committed any verbal or physical harassment or assault of a sexual nature?” Hirono asked.

“No, Senator,” Hegseth replied.

Hirono then asked Hegseth if he “ever faced discipline or entered into a settlement relating to this kind of conduct.”

The former Fox News host told Hirono he was falsely accused of sexual assault in 2017 but was completely cleared after a full investigation.

“I don’t think completely cleared is accurate,” Hirono said who noted that Hegseth’s own lawyer admitted that he entered into a settlement agreement with the alleged victim that involved a payment and a confidentiality clause.

CNN obtained the police report a California woman filed in 2017 about Hegseth. According to CNN, in the report, the woman says that Hegseth prevented her from leaving the hotel room, took her phone and sexually assaulted her. She told the police she “remembered saying, ‘no,’ a lot.”

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