Pete Hegseth may break confidentiality agreement, leading to a public confrontation with sexual assault accuser.

According to Sen. Lindsey Graham, Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's Defense secretary nominee, plans to release his accuser from the confidentiality agreement he had her sign, despite being ensnared in sexual assault allegations.

According to Graham, R-S.C., Hegseth stated that he would release her from the agreement, and Graham added, "I would want to know if anyone nominated for a high-level job in Washington had legitimately assaulted someone."

Hegseth's confirmation will not be based on allegations from an anonymous source, as Graham has stated.

If Hegseth's accuser comes forward publicly, it could result in a spectacle similar to the Kavanaugh confirmation process, where Ford testified in the Senate about her accusations.

Graham acknowledged that he is not familiar with the issue that Pete Hegseth mentioned.

"If people have an allegation to make, they should come forward and make it like they did in Kavanaugh's case, and we'll determine its credibility."

In 2017, a woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Hegseth in a hotel room in Monterey, California.

The charge against Hegseth was not based on the incident itself, but rather on a woman who later regretted cheating on her husband. Hegseth maintains that the interaction was consensual.

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office reviewed the case report recommended by the police but no charges were filed.

Hegseth, 44, was going through a divorce from his second wife when he had a child with another woman, leading to the divorce filing.

According to Hegseth's attorney, a payment was made to the woman as part of a confidentiality agreement due to Hegseth's fear that the woman was planning to file a lawsuit that could have resulted in him losing his job as a co-host on "Fox & Friends."

This month, Tim Parlatore, attorney for Hegseth, revealed to CNN that they had contemplated filing a civil extortion lawsuit against the woman before reaching a confidentiality agreement.

The confirmation of Hegseth may be hindered by the allegations, as Republicans will have a slim 53-47 majority in the next Senate, and only a few GOP votes can be lost, assuming no Democrats support them.

At present, Hegseth has not lost any Republicans in the upper chamber, including more moderate senators like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Last week on Capitol Hill, Hegseth conversed with both of them and, according to Collins, their discussion was substantial and lasted over an hour.

"We discussed a broad spectrum of topics, including defense procurement reforms, the role of women in the military, and sexual assault in the military. We covered issues related to Ukraine, NATO, and other topics. Before making a final decision, I wait until an FBI background check is conducted and a committee hearing takes place, especially in the case of Mr. Hegseth."

Trump's Defense secretary nominee has met twice with Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. After their first meeting earlier this month, Ernst expressed reservations about Hegseth. However, after their second meeting this week, she released a statement saying she supports Trump and looks forward to a fair hearing based on truth, not anonymous sources.

Planet Chronicle' Julia Johnson and Tyler Olson contributed to this report.