A report released by Democrats on the US House Judiciary Committee has outlined allegations by Beatrice Keul, a former Miss Switzerland contestant, who told congressional investigators that President Donald Trump raped her at New York’s Plaza Hotel in November 1993. The White House has rejected the allegation and accused Democrats of using the report for political purposes. Representative Jamie Raskin, the committee’s top Democrat, released the report on October 26. It examines allegations involving 11 women and Trump’s past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. According to the report, five women have accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in Epstein’s presence or close company. The allegations remain unproven claims and have not been independently established as facts. Trump has denied wrongdoing related to Epstein.

What Does Beatrice Keul Allege?

According to the report, Keul was 24 when she attended Trump’s American Dream Pageant event in New York in November 1993. She told congressional investigators that she met Trump at a press luncheon linked to the event. She also encountered Epstein there. Keul alleged that Trump later invited her to a suite at the Plaza Hotel, where he sexually assaulted her. She told investigators that the incident left her injured and traumatised. She also alleged that Trump later pressured her to remain silent. The report further states that Trump offered to help Keul gain admission to New York University. Modelling agent Paolo Zampolli allegedly offered to assist her with obtaining a US visa. Epstein, whom the report describes as a close associate of Trump at the time, also allegedly offered to arrange travel and accommodation for her. The report compares these alleged offers with accounts of how Epstein and his associates approached young women connected to the modelling and beauty pageant industries. Keul had previously spoken publicly about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 1993. In 2024, she told the Daily Mail that Trump had groped her at the Plaza Hotel.

Democrats Demand Independent Investigation Into Epstein Network

The report has renewed calls from House Judiciary Committee Democrats for an independent investigation into Epstein’s network and the Justice Department’s handling of evidence related to the case. Raskin has called for the appointment of an independent special counsel. He wants the investigation to examine potential co-conspirators and determine whether authorities shielded people connected to Epstein from prosecution. The report alleges that the Justice Department and the FBI failed to pursue certain lines of inquiry and withheld evidence relating to possible offences. It also questions how officials handled information provided by survivors and witnesses. Democrats argue that an independent investigation could help establish whether authorities adequately examined allegations involving Epstein’s associates and whether officials overlooked or mishandled relevant evidence.

White House Rejects Allegations as Politically Motivated

The White House has strongly denied the allegations and criticised Democrats over the report’s release. The report appeared shortly before the November 3 US midterm elections. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis described the report as an attempt to divert attention from the Trump administration’s record. “This 'report' is nothing more than a desperate attempt by crazed Democrats to distract Americans from the surging Republican momentum driven by President Trump's historic achievements,” Bis said in a statement. Bis also said Trump had removed Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago club because he was a “creep”. She maintained that the president had been “fully exonerated of anything related to Epstein”. Republican lawmakers have also criticised the timing of the report. They argue that Democrats are using the allegations for political purposes ahead of the midterm elections. The report has intensified the political dispute over Trump’s past association with Epstein and the handling of allegations involving the convicted sex offender’s network. However, the claims detailed in the document remain allegations and should not be treated as established findings of criminal wrongdoing.