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Has Katie Johnson provided sworn testimony or an affidavit and what does it say?
Executive Summary
Katie Johnson (also referenced as Jane Doe in filings) filed a 2016 civil complaint that, according to several available docket excerpts and secondary reports, included a sworn declaration or affidavit describing alleged sexual abuse involving Donald J. Trump and Jeffrey E. Epstein; however the case was short‑lived and court records available in public dockets are incomplete, and the allegations in the filings have not been litigated or proven in court [1] [2] [3]. Public reporting and secondary sources from 2025 describe a video affidavit and provide detailed recitations of the complaint’s allegations, but those accounts rely on the same filings and have not changed the underlying fact that the claims remain unproven and the federal case was terminated in 2016 [4] [5].
1. What the filings assert — a stark, detailed allegation referenced in multiple records
The documents and secondary summaries assert that Katie Johnson’s court filing contained a sworn declaration or affidavit describing four occasions of sexual abuse by Donald J. Trump and three by Jeffrey E. Epstein, alleging forcible rape, sodomy, threats of mortal harm to silence her and her family, and an organized pattern of exploitation beginning when she was 13 years old. The complaint sought $100 million and included a request for protective measures to preserve the plaintiff’s anonymity and guard against retaliation. Multiple analyses draw the same core narrative about the alleged incidents and the relief sought, which establishes what the filings claim rather than proving the truth of those events [1] [5].
2. Do the public court records contain the sworn affidavit? Not fully available in public dockets
Court docket summaries and certain PACER/RECAP listings show the case number (5:16‑cv‑00797‑DMG‑KS), filing and termination dates in 2016, and docket entries for complaints and procedural motions; however, the publicly available docket extracts do not consistently reproduce the full affidavit or the complete complaint text. Some sources explicitly state the filing included a sworn affidavit or declaration (and one source references a named material witness), while other docket reports indicate the available docket does not show the affidavit itself and that to access full submissions one must retrieve PACER documents or RECAP copies [2] [6] [3] [7].
3. Secondary reporting in 2025 expands on the filing but does not substitute for court adjudication
Reporting and document summaries from 2025 describe a video affidavit and provide extensive excerpts or restatements of Johnson’s allegations, including recruitment by an Epstein associate and repeated assaults. Those accounts reinforce that sworn statements were filed and circulated but also acknowledge the allegations have not been proven in court and have been met with denials from the named defendants. Secondary outlets reference the same core filings and describe corroborating witness declarations, but they remain journalistic or document‑release reports rather than judicial findings [4] [5].
4. Procedural outcome: the 2016 case was dismissed and therefore unresolved in court
The Central District of California docket shows the case was filed in April 2016 and terminated in early May 2016 for failure to state a civil rights claim, indicating the federal court did not proceed to adjudicate the factual allegations; this termination means the sworn statements in the complaint did not result in a judicial finding on the merits. Multiple sources note the short procedural life of the suit and the absence of a trial or judgment validating the factual claims in the affidavit, underscoring that filing a sworn statement in a complaint is not the same as a judicial determination [2] [1].
5. Witnesses and attempted corroboration: claims of material witness testimony exist but are limited
The filings and subsequent reporting reference a purported material witness, identified in some documents as Tiffany Doe, described as a former Epstein employee who allegedly observed or could corroborate aspects of Johnson’s account. Several summaries assert Tiffany Doe agreed to provide sworn testimony and to corroborate the pattern of parties and abuse described by Johnson. Yet publicly accessible records and docket extracts do not supply independent, court‑accepted corroboration or cross‑examination results; thus the available evidence in the public record consists primarily of assertions within the complaint and accompanying declarations [1] [5] [7].
6. What remains unresolved and why this matters for assessing the claim
The decisive fact is that sworn statements and affidavits exist within a filed civil complaint and have been summarized and reported, but no court adjudication validated these allegations and the federal case was dismissed in 2016. Contemporary reporting in 2025 has amplified and republished the affidavit content, including references to a video affidavit, yet these developments do not convert allegations into established facts. For readers assessing the claim, the distinction between a filed sworn allegation and a proven legal determination is critical: the record shows a sworn affidavit was filed and has been reported, but the allegations remain unproven in court and contested by defendants [3] [4] [2].