An alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault is living in fear of retaliation from the Trump administration, according to a family member. The woman, identified as Jane Doe 4 in Epstein-related court documents, is staying off the grid and struggling with chronic trauma, the relative told the Guardian.
Jane Doe 4 gave four interviews to FBI agents in 2019, alleging she was abused by Epstein in the 1980s and later sexually assaulted by Trump when she was between 13 and 15 years old. The White House has dismissed her claims as completely baseless and backed by zero credible evidence, noting that the Biden administration's justice department did not act on them. She is among the few Epstein victims to directly accuse Trump.
Document Release Controversy
The handling of Jane Doe 4's case files has become a flashpoint for critics of acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Trump's nominee for permanent appointment. A federal judge in Washington, Emmet Sullivan, ordered Blanche by July 2 to produce unredacted versions of released files or explain why they cannot be provided. The Department of Justice must also release interview notes related to her allegations. The order stems from a civil case brought by journalist Katie Phang, represented by attorney Brendan Ballou of the Public Integrity Project.
Late Friday, the Justice Department's number three official, Stanley Woodward, joined the case. Ballou tweeted that the department is resisting document release. The Epstein Transparency Act, passed by Congress in November and signed by Trump, mandates release of all documents related to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Blanche oversaw compliance, directing a team of 500 reviewers. The department uploaded over 3 million documents, but victim names and compromising photos were exposed, and some records were retracted without explanation.
FBI Interviews and Missing Notes
The January document release included an FBI 302 report of one Jane Doe 4 interview and a case identifier. She called the FBI's Epstein hotline after his arrest in July 2019, and the agency deemed her account worth investigating. A confidante also reported separately. Journalists used the case number to find missing records, leading to the release of three additional interviews in March, which included her fuzzy memory of an alleged 1980s encounter with Trump after Epstein introduced her. Handwritten interview notes remain undisclosed.
Only reporters from The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, have reviewed the notes, citing an unnamed source. The scribbles include names of high school friends who might verify parts of her account but not the alleged Trump incident. The FBI never brought charges related to her allegations, and there is no indication they investigated after August 2019, when Trump was president. The woman cut off contact with the FBI, saying she believed she was being followed.
Victim's Legal and Personal Struggles
An attorney who represented her during two FBI interviews said he never received follow-up calls or copies of the 302 reports, which are usually provided to defense counsel. He said his mission was protecting her from potential criminal charges as she answered questions about referring friends to a man she knew as Jeff, who visited a luxury property near Hilton Head, South Carolina. In 2020, a Jane Doe joined a lawsuit against Epstein's estate with matching allegations but later dropped the claims.
In March, oversight committee members questioned Epstein's accountant and lawyer about any payment to the alleged victim from the estate. Her claim with a special fund for Epstein victims was denied, but one attorney told The Post and Courier she received a settlement. Accountant Richard Kahn initially acknowledged a settlement but later said he could neither confirm nor deny any payment after conferring with his attorney.
Blanche faces contentious confirmation hearings before the Senate judiciary committee later this summer. The White House maintains Trump was totally exonerated by the Epstein file release.
