Army colonel gets $975,000 in sex assault case against former Joint Chiefs vice chairman

By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A retired Army colonel has reached a court settlement of nearly $1 million in a sexual assault lawsuit against Air Force Gen. John Hyten, who served as vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The settlement with the U.S. government ends more than four years of investigations, reviews and congressional digging into the matter, which delayed but ultimately did not defeat Hyten’s nomination for vice chairman in 2019. He served two years and did not seek a second term. The lawsuit was filed by Army Col. Kathryn Spletstoser, who served as Hyten’s aide in 2017. The settlement was filed in U.S. District Court in California on Wednesday.