US government to pay out $975,000 to settle civil sexual assault case against former senior general

A yearslong court civil suit involving sexual assault allegations against former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. John Hyten has been settled for $975,000, according to court records.

The sum will be paid out by the US government to Col. Kathryn Spletstoser, who alleged sexual assault and battery against Hyten in 2019. The allegations spanned nine incidents from February 2017 to February 2018, and were made public when Hyten was nominated by then-President Donald Trump to be the second most senior US military officer in the nation.

Reached by CNN on Thursday, Hyten said “the settlement is between the government and Col. Spletstoser.” He said he was not involved in negotiations.

The Department of Justice declined to comment.

The Air Force cleared Hyten of the nine allegations of sexual misconduct in 2019 after a criminal investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. A senior defense official told reporters at the time that the investigation included speaking to 53 witnesses across three countries and 10 states and reviewing “tens of thousands of emails.”

“After a comprehensive investigation by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, there was insufficient evidence to support any finding of misconduct on the part of General Hyten,” the Pentagon said at the time. “General Hyten has cooperated with the investigation. With more than 38 years of service to our nation General Hyten has proven himself to be a principled and dedicated patriot.”

A news release from the firm representing Spletstoser said the settlement would resolve the case which has been pending in the US District Court for the Central District of California. Hyten was ultimately confirmed as the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in November 2019 and retired in 2021.

“The near million-dollar settlement stands out as the only known settlement paid by the government faor a sexual assault case brought against a member of the United States military,” the release from Solomon Law Firm said.

Ariel Solomon told CNN her client “feels vindicated under the circumstances.”

“In my view, this tells me they understood there was a significant problem, that the complaint made allegations that they were concerned about if the litigation were to go forward,” Solomon said. “This is not a nuisance value suit obviously, I don’t think anyone pays near a million dollars to settle a claim that they’re not suitably concerned about.”

Hyten declined to comment on Solomon’s remark.

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