{"id":37355,"date":"2019-07-30T17:07:28","date_gmt":"2019-07-30T17:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/07\/30\/hyten-denies-sexual-assault-accusations-but-new-questions-cloud-his-confirmation\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:08:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:08:27","slug":"hyten-denies-sexual-assault-accusations-but-new-questions-cloud-his-confirmation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2019\/07\/30\/hyten-denies-sexual-assault-accusations-but-new-questions-cloud-his-confirmation\/","title":{"rendered":"Hyten denies sexual assault accusations, but new questions cloud his confirmation as Joint Chiefs No. 2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Senior military officials and key Senate Republicans rallied around <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2019\/07\/11\/lawmakers-question-probe-that-cleared-hyten-of-sex-assault-allegations\/\" target=_blank>President Donald Trump\u2019s pick for next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff<\/a> on Tuesday by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/congress\/2019\/07\/23\/hyten-accuser-testifies-in-private-before-senate-panel\/\" target=_blank>flatly dismissing sexual assault allegations<\/a> leveled against him by a former aide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gen. John Hyten, the current head of U.S. Strategic Command, called the claims against him false and insisted that \u201cnothing happened, ever\u201d with<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/07\/26\/us\/politics\/hyten-assault-joint-chiefs.html\" target=_blank> Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser<\/a>, a senior member of his staff who has publicly accused him of assaulting her in a California hotel room in 2017 during a defense policy trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThat never happened,\u201d he told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. \u201cI\u2019ve never been to her room \u2026 on any trip I\u2019ve ever taken.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The accusations were dismissed by military officials after a lengthy investigation, a point that Hyten\u2019s defenders mentioned repeatedly during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2019\/07\/25\/hyten-nomination-to-advance-after-he-offers-private-testimony\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19191818137436.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Hyten nomination to advance after he offers private testimony<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">Confirmation for President Donald Trump\u2019s nominee for vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was set to move forward after lawmakers interviewed him in private on Thursday.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They portrayed Hyten as a man of integrity committed to public service who has seen his nomination to the second-highest military post delayed for weeks over made-up allegations, creating an inconvenience for Pentagon leadership and a hardship for his family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI believe the truth still matters in our country. And the full truth was revealed in this process,\u201d said Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., and an Air Force veteran who earlier this year publicly revealed her own sexual assault while in the ranks. \u201cThe truth is that Gen. Hyten is innocent of these charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSexual assault happens in the military. It just didn\u2019t happen in this case.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson, on hand to defend Hyten to the committee, described Spletstoser as at best confused \u2014 \u201ca wounded soldier who believes what she says is true\u201d \u2014 and at worst a vengeful malcontent bent on destroying Hyten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spletstoser, who attended the hearing, described the event as stunning to her and scary to sexual assault victims across the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou just had a four-star general get up in front of the American people and in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee and make false statements under oath,\u201d she said. \u201cHe lied. He lied about sexually assaulting me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spletstoser said she wants to testify before the committee in public to offer her side of the story. She spoke to senators in a non-public session last week, but said the full chamber should hear her account before voting on Hyten\u2019s nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19211554820344.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Former aide Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser sits in the audience as Gen. John Hyten appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 30, 2019, for his confirmation hearing to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.\" class=\"wp-image-35078\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19211554820344.jpg.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19211554820344.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19211554820344.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19211554820344.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Former aide Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser sits in the audience as Gen. John Hyten appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 30, 2019, for his confirmation hearing to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Andrew Harnik\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re not talking about winning a case in a court of law,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about a promotion to be the military\u2019s second highest officer, for someone who couldn\u2019t answer simple questions on sexual assault policy and how to handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was unclear Tuesday whether she would be allowed to publicly testify.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democrats on the committee said the allegations raise serious concerns about Hyten\u2019s ability to help lead the military, especially in light of the institution\u2019s continued struggle to deal with sexual harassment and assault among its personnel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A report from the department\u2019s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response in May estimated more than 20,000 sexual assaults in the ranks in fiscal 2018, a rise of nearly 38 percent over the previous two years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hyten\u2019s critics questioned whether he can credibly lead the reform efforts within the military, but also acknowledged that no corroborating evidence could be found to support the assault allegations, leaving them with an unclear choice of who to believe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cCorroborating evidence, the lack of does it not necessarily mean that the accusations are not true,\u201d said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii. \u201cWomen are assaulted all the time and don&#8217;t tell anyone. Men assault women all the time and don&#8217;t leave behind any evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a twist, Hyten and the military\u2019s pushback against the accuser may have opened another potential confirmation problem for the nominee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hyten called Spletstoser a \u201cbrilliant\u201d officer who he believed performed admirably in her job, but later learned of serious problems with her leadership style that culminated in an investigation of her within his command. Spletstoser was later forced out of her role, and afterwards made several other unsubstantiated complaints about the leadership team before the sexual assault allegations.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/05\/02\/defense-department-to-make-sexual-harassment-a-crime\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/4257016.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Defense Department to make sexual harassment a crime<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The move comes amid reports of a spike in sexual assaults in the ranks in recent years.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Supporters of Hyten highlighted that as evidence of a motive for her to fabricate stories about Hyten. But several senators asked whether it showed he was slow to react to clear problems with senior personnel surrounding him, and why he should be trusted with a promotion to the top ranks of the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou could not bring yourself to admit or recognize toxic leadership within your command,\u201d said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. \u201cYou continued to endorse her. You only did something about it when concerns were raised about your own leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll of this suggests a conflict between your personal inclinations and your professional responsibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hyten said he learned from the experience, and pledged if confirmed to work on that and on a better Defense Department response to sexual assault issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs the vice chairman, I\u2019ll have a significant role to reach out and work these issues,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve thought about it a lot. I\u2019ve worked with people closely asking what should we do. Every time I look at the (sexual assault) numbers, they seem to be worse, not better. \u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have tried so many things, but the numbers say they are not working.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1500\" height=\"1000\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP19211554225732.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"Gen. John Hyten, left, accompanied by members of his family, including his wife Laura, second from right, and his daughter Katie, right, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 30, 2019, for his confirmation hearing to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.\" class=\"wp-image-2763\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP19211554225732.jpg.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP19211554225732.jpg.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP19211554225732.jpg.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AP19211554225732.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gen. John Hyten, left, accompanied by members of his family, including his wife Laura, second from right, and his daughter Katie, right, appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, July 30, 2019, for his confirmation hearing to be vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (Andrew Harnik\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Committee chairman Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Olka., said a final vote by the Senate on Hyten\u2019s confirmation could come this week, before members begin their extended summer legislative break. However, several committee members said they would oppose moving too quickly on that, saying they still have unanswered questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several committee members said they will press for more details of the military\u2019s investigation into the accusations to be released publicly in coming weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the vote doesn\u2019t happen by Friday, the nomination will await final action until at least September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Meanwhile, Spletstoser predicted that if Hyten\u2019s nomination goes forward, it will have a chilling effect on military morale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis moving forward tells everybody, every sexual assault survivor victim that they need not come forward,\u201d she said. \u201cThat their own character, despite having a flawless record, will be questioned. That they will be the one investigated. That they will not see justice.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Military officials and key Senate Republicans said they see no evidence of wrongdoing by the nominee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":52464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":8,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[8,160,36,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3424,3446],"class_list":["post-37355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters","category-pentagon"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"NXYCJJ7YJVEHBJMGX2EYRYBBFE","arc_canonical_url":"\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/07\/30\/hyten-denies-sexual-assault-accusations-but-new-questions-cloud-his-confirmation\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Hyten denies sexual assault accusations, but new questions cloud his confirmation as Joint Chiefs No. 2 - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Military officials and key Senate Republicans said they see no evidence of wrongdoing by the nominee.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hyten denies sexual assault accusations, but new questions cloud his confirmation as Joint Chiefs No. 2\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Military officials and key Senate Republicans said they see no evidence of wrongdoing by the nominee.\" \/>\n<meta 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