EXCLUSIVE: Epstein’s Reaction To Katie Johnson Lawsuit
Newly released emails show how Jeffrey Epstein mobilized Trump’s inner circle within hours of a 2016 rape lawsuit
CONTENT WARNING: This article references allegations of sexual assault involving a minor. Reader discretion advised.
On April 28, 2016, Reuters contacted Jeffrey Epstein’s attorney about a federal lawsuit alleging he and Donald Trump raped a 13-year-old girl in 1994. Within hours, Epstein had forwarded the complaint to at least ten people, including Trump’s campaign finance chairman.
Newly revealed emails from the House Oversight Committee’s Epstein archive document that immediate response.
Within hours of an e-mail from Reuters about an alleged rape case…
From: David Ingram (Reuters News)
To: Martin G. Weinberg (Epstein’s attorney)
Date: Thursday, April 28, 2016, 12:14 PM
Subject: Reuters / lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein“Hi Marty,
The attached lawsuit was filed this week in federal court in California alleging that Jeffrey Epstein and another man, Donald Trump, raped her in 1994. We’re planning to publish a story on the suit this afternoon, and we want to make sure it is fair. Is Mr. Epstein available to speak? Or do you want to offer a comment on this behalf?”
Epstein shares the case with Trump’s inner circle.
From: Jeffrey Epstein [jeevacation@gmail.com]
To: Tom Barrack Private
Sent: 4/28/2016 4:34:20 PM
Subject: Fwd: Reuters / lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein
Importance: High“nuts but i thought you guys should know”
Tom Barrack—Trump’s billionaire friend and future inaugural committee chairman. The email was marked “High” importance. Epstein’s use of “you guys” directly references Trump himself—the three had been close since the 1990s, dubbed “the three amigos” while chasing models around New York.
And his bank’s legal counsel…
From: Jeffrey Epstein [jeevacation@gmail.com]
To: Kathy Ruemmler
Sent: 4/28/2016 4:28:39 PM
Subject: Fwd: Reuters / lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein
Importance: High
Kathy Ruemmler—Obama’s former White House counsel, then serving as JPMorgan Chase’s General Counsel during the bank’s ongoing business relationship with Epstein.
and with a journalist close to Donald Trump.
From: Michael Wolff
To: jeffrey E. [jeevacation@gmail.com]
Sent: 4/28/2016 7:00:45 PM
Subject: Re: Reuters / lawsuit against Jeffrey Epstein
Importance: High“Well, I guess if there’s anybody who can wave thus away, it’s Donald. Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
What the Lawsuit Alleged
The case, filed by a woman using the pseudonym Katie Johnson, alleged multiple assaults at Epstein’s Manhattan residence in 1994, when she was 13. A second witness, “Tiffany Doe,” claimed in a sworn declaration she had worked as Epstein’s party planner and personally witnessed the encounters at “the Wexner Mansion located at 9 E. 71st St.”—the townhouse Les Wexner had transferred to Epstein.
Trump’s defense was categorical denial—his lawyer called it “categorically false” and claimed Johnson “doesn’t exist.” But Trump never specifically addressed whether such parties occurred, whether he’d attended them, or whether the witnesses existed. And the truth may never come out because:
Johnson’s refiles her declaration in June 2016 including this detail:
“Shortly after my first complaint was filed in California on April 26, 2016, I started receiving threatening phone calls on a cell phone I then owned. The calls were never for more than 20 seconds or so before they hung up and they were always from a blocked or unavailable phone number according to my caller ID feature. Since I changed phone numbers, the threatening calls have completely stopped.”
A court date is scheduled…
From: Reid Weingarten (Epstein’s attorney)
To: Jeffrey Epstein [jeevacation@gmail.com]
Sent: 10/21/2016 11:33:11 AM
Subject: FW: Trump lawyers given court date over lawsuit alleging rape of 13-year-old | US news | The Guardian
Importance: High
“Hope all is well. We’re due for a catch-up one day soon, you think?”
The email included a Guardian article: a court date had been set for December 16, 2016. Two weeks before the presidential election.
But this is where the story ends.
November 2, 2016: A press conference was scheduled where Johnson would reveal her identity.
November 4, 2016: The press conference was cancelled. Attorney Lisa Bloom cited “numerous threats against her.” The case was withdrawn.
November 8, 2016: Trump wins the presidency.
Trump becomes president, and the case disappears along with Katie Johnson and Tiffany Doe.
From: jeffrey E. [jeevacation@gmail.com]
To: Deepak Chopra
Sent: 11/10/2016 10:14:40 PM
Subject: Re:
Importance: High
Two days after Trump’s election victory, Epstein sent Chopra a Daily Mail link claiming the story was “FABRICATED.”
From: Deepak Chopra
To: jeffrey E. [jeevacation@gmail.com]
Sent: 11/10/2016 10:14:40 PM
“Did she also drop civil case against you?”
Epstein’s reply: “YuP”
Chopra’s response: “Good”
The Timeline
April 26, 2016: Katie Johnson files lawsuit in California
April 28, 2016: Reuters contacts Epstein’s attorney; Epstein distributes to Trump’s network within hours
June 20, 2016: Johnson refiles in New York; reports threatening calls from blocked numbers began after initial filing
October 21, 2016: Court date set for December 16
November 2, 2016: Press conference scheduled for Johnson to reveal identity
November 4, 2016: Press conference cancelled citing “numerous threats”; case withdrawn
November 8, 2016: Trump wins presidency
November 10, 2016: Epstein emails “FABRICATED” article to Chopra
The Context
In 2008, Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to procuring a minor for prostitution and served 13 months. In 2019, he was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of underage girls before dying in his cell.
In 2005, Donald Trump was caught on tape saying “when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything... Grab ‘em by the pussy.” In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll, awarding her $5 million in damages.
The Katie Johnson lawsuit alleged that in 1994, when she was 13, both men sexually assaulted her at Epstein’s Manhattan parties. The case was withdrawn four days before the 2016 presidential election after her attorney cited “numerous threats.”
The emails document the response: Trump’s campaign chairman alerted within hours. A journalist offering to help. Court dates tracked. And after Trump’s victory, “FABRICATED” articles distributed.
The story of Katie Johnson rings true. You can hear her it in her own voice in this affidavit I posted earlier this year.
Video Affidavit Of Katie Johnson Surfaces
GRAPHIC WARNING: The allegations by "Katie Johnson" against Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein are highly graphic and are behind a paywall to prevent being viewed by viewers who are underage or sensitive to the graphic nature of the content. We are sharing this devastating video because the public needs to hear these claims, but we remain cautious of exploiting Katie’s traumatic experience by subjecting them to wide release. Any proceeds generated from this story will be donated to appropriate charities. Watch with caution.
We may never know for sure, but what we can tell from these e-mails is that some very powerful men across media, politics, banking, and the law seemed very invested in seeing the case disappear within hours of the story breaking. One of those men died in prison. The other is the president of the United States.
Paid subscribers: Read copies of the court documents as preserved in Epstein’s email archives, plus additional correspondence from the network’s response.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Narativ with Zev Shalev to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.