Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said that President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, will release his sexual abuse accuser from their confidentiality agreement ahead of Senate confirmation hearings.

A statement from Hegseth’s lawyer obtained by the Washington Post said that Hegseth paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault as part of a nondisclosure agreement — but continued to deny the accusations that she made. Releasing the woman from the agreement would allow her to speak publicly.

The Republican said he had spoken to the Pentagon nominee, and believed "his side of the story" after he was accused of sexual assault in 2017.