In 2016, an anonymous plaintiff using the pseudonyms “Katie Johnson” and “Jane Doe” filed multiple civil lawsuits alleging that Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein raped her in 1994 when she was 13, at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse.
The suits—first in California (dismissed on procedural grounds), then refiled in New York—were voluntarily withdrawn on November 4, 2016, days before the presidential election, after the plaintiff reportedly received death threats and canceled a planned press conference.
The filings included graphic details and affidavits from anonymous witnesses (“Tiffany Doe,” a purported recruiter, and “Joan Doe”), but the case was never adjudicated on its merits. It has long been controversial, with ties to promoter Norm Lubow (known for disputed celebrity scandals), inconsistencies in early documents, and questions about the plaintiff’s identity and attorneys’ direct contact.
In August 2025 interviews (e.g., with journalist Tara Palmeri), Michael Cohen—Trump’s former fixer—described working on one Epstein-related allegation for Trump around 2016, involving a “Jane Doe” minor represented through her mother. He said Trump called it “bullshit” and told him to “take care of it,” sending a private investigator who found inconsistencies. Cohen later clarified to Newsweek that he “never dealt with the Katie Johnson matter” and cautioned against conflating cases.
No public evidence confirms Cohen directly threatened the plaintiff’s lawyer or made a late-night call demanding the case be dropped. The plaintiff cited general threats (not attributed to Cohen or Trump) as a reason for withdrawal.
The 2016 filings have occasionally resurfaced in media amid Epstein document releases, but no 2025 DOJ or estate dumps (through early 2026) revealed new evidence corroborating a Cohen threat or reviving the specific allegation. The claims remain unsubstantiated and disputed, with Trump denying them as fabricated and politically motivated.
Leave a Reply