A woman identified as Jane Doe 4 in the Jeffrey Epstein files is living in hiding and fearing retaliation from the Trump administration, her family member disclosed, as a legal battle intensifies over whether her case materials should be made public.
The woman made allegations in 2019 FBI interviews that she was sexually assaulted by Donald Trump when she was between 13 and 15 years old, after being introduced to him by Epstein in the 1980s. She remains one of only a handful of alleged Epstein victims to directly accuse Trump of abuse. The White House has dismissed her claims as "completely baseless" and "backed by zero credible evidence."
"Trauma is brutal. Chronic trauma destroys," her relative said, describing decades of abuse beginning in her childhood. "She's coping as best she can."
A federal judge in Washington last week ordered acting attorney general Todd Blanche to produce unredacted versions of case files by July 2 or explain why they cannot be released. The order also requires the justice department to turn over interview notes from Jane Doe 4's four 2019 sessions with FBI agents. The decision came in a civil case brought by journalist Katie Phang, with the justice department's number three official, Stanley Woodward, recently joining the proceedings.
Blanche, Trump's former personal attorney now serving as the president's nominee for permanent attorney general, directed the release of Epstein documents following a law Trump signed in November. In doing so, his team released more than three million documents to a public database, but critics say he has withheld approximately 2.5 million additional records deemed "duplicative" or legally protected.
The handling of Jane Doe 4's case has become a flashpoint in debates over transparency. In January, the justice department uploaded her formal FBI interview report to the public database, which allowed journalists to identify her through a case file number and uncover other missing records. By March, under pressure, the department released three additional interviews with Jane Doe 4.
However, handwritten notes from her FBI interviews remain unreleased. Only reporters from The Post and Courier in Charleston, South Carolina, have reviewed the notes through an unnamed source. According to their reporting, the agent's notes include names of high school friends who might verify aspects of her account, though not the alleged incident involving Trump.
Sky Roberts, brother of deceased Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre, said the burden should not fall on Jane Doe 4 to demand transparency. "She's already given her testimony to the FBI," Roberts told the Guardian. "It should be Justice's responsibility to take that evidence and press forward."
The woman's attorney during two FBI interviews said he never received follow-up calls from agents or copies of their reports, which are typically provided to defense counsel. He explained his role was protecting the client from potential criminal charges as she answered questions about referring friends to "Jeff," a man she said was staying at a luxury property near her family's home in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
The woman ended contact with the FBI after her final interview in August 2019, telling agents she believed she was being followed. Federal authorities never brought charges related to her allegations, and there is no indication the FBI continued investigating her claims after concluding those interviews while Trump was serving his first term.
In 2020, a Jane Doe with matching biographical details joined a lawsuit against Epstein's estate with identical allegations. She later withdrew her claims. When the woman sought compensation through a fund for Epstein victims, her claim was denied. One of her attorneys told the Post and Courier she had received a settlement from the estate, though Epstein's accountant Richard Kahn initially acknowledged a settlement before reversing course and saying he could neither confirm nor deny any payment.
The transparency law governing these disclosures prohibits withholding documents "on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm or political sensitivity," yet the justice department continues to resist releasing the handwritten notes and other materials.
Blanche faces confirmation hearings before the Senate judiciary committee expected to be contentious, with his handling of the Epstein documents likely to dominate the discussion. The White House maintains Trump was "totally exonerated" by the release of the files.
Author James Rodriguez: "A judge ordering documents released and an administration fighting to keep them sealed tells you everything about where the real fear lies."
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