Anonymous lawsuit alleging sexual assault by Trump raises questions about plaintiff’s identity and attorney involvement

New Firepower in Shocking Suit Against Trump | Law.com Page 3 of 3 It looked more to me like the secret handiwork of a lawyer intent on smearing Trump. If so, however, there was no way to hold anyone accountable. The phone number provided was disconnected and Johnson’s address was an abandoned, foreclosed house. The allegations in the latest complaint by “Jane Doe” are the same, albeit with fewer lurid details and no explanation why she is no longer Katie Johnson. But the biggest difference is that she’s got lawyers now. In addition to Mason, “Jane Doe” is represented—improbably—by New Jersey patent litigator Thomas Meagher, the managing partner of nine-lawyer IP boutique Meagher Emanuel Laks Goldberg & Liao. Mason and Meagher did not respond to requests for comment. Campaign finance records show that Mason gave $2,000 to Hillary Clinton in February. Meagher during this election cycle has donated to Marco Rubio, Chris Christie, Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush. He has never given money to a Democrat, according to Open Secrets data. So is the suit for real? Or is it an especially dirty way to attack Donald Trump? There’s a You Tube video of the plaintiff, with her faced blurred and her voice distorted, where she recounts the rape. Under these conditions, it’s impossible to tell if she’s credible or not. The complaint also includes an affidavit from “Joan Doe,” a school friend who said the plaintiff told her about the rapes in 1994, and from “Tiffany Doe,” who said she recruited the plaintiff to come to Epstein’s parties and witnessed the sexual assaults. So perhaps more evidence will emerge to bolster Jane Doe’s claims. On the other hand, if the complaint is determined to be without merit, Mason and Meagher could be sanctioned by the court for filing a frivolous lawsuit. Or Trump could respond like Alan Dershowitz, who was also accused of sexual misconduct with a minor in connection with Epstein. The Harvard Law School professor said lawyers for the accuser acted unethically and fabricated the allegations; in turn, they sued him for defamation. The case settled earlier this year on undisclosed terms. In the Trump case, U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams set an initial conference for Dec. 16. The real question: if Clinton wins, will this case simply disappear? Jenna Greene can be reached at jgreene@alm.com. On Twitter: @JgreeneJenna © Copyright 2016. ALM Media Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. http://www.law.com/sites/almstaff/2016/10/10/new-firepower-in-shocking-suit-against-tr... 10/11/2016 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_029400