Beatrice Keul has accused Donald Trump of raping her inside New York City’s Plaza Hotel in 1993, according to a newly released congressional report examining his connections to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The White House has strongly denied the allegations.
The accusations appear in a 53-page report released October 26 by Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee. The document details allegations involving 11 women, including five who have directly accused Trump of rape or sexual assault in Epstein’s company or presence.
According to the report, Beatrice Keul was 24 years old and working as a Swiss model and financial services professional when event promoter Jill Harth recruited her for the Donald J. Trump American Dream Pageant in November 1993. The competition took place in Atlantic City and New York and primarily targeted women between the ages of 16 and 22, although some contestants were older.
Keul told congressional investigators that she met Trump during a promotional luncheon at the Plaza Hotel, which he owned at the time. She said he approached her and spent approximately 15 minutes discussing opportunities that could help her establish a future in the United States.
During their conversation, Trump allegedly offered to arrange an American visa through his associate Paolo Zampolli and promised to secure her admission to New York University.
“I will take care of you,” Trump allegedly told her, according to the committee’s report.
Keul claimed Jeffrey Epstein approached her shortly afterward and introduced himself by saying, “I’m Jeffrey, Don’s best friend.” Epstein allegedly made similar promises, offering to cover her travel expenses and accommodations while inviting her to a gathering at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“You know I can take care of you. We organize many parties with Don,” Epstein allegedly told Keul.
Later that day, Keul said a representative approached her with an invitation to meet Trump privately in an upstairs hotel suite. Believing the meeting could advance her professional and educational goals, she accepted.
According to her account, Trump allegedly grabbed her from behind after she entered the suite and forcibly raped her. Keul claimed the assault tore her dress and left her bleeding and bruised in multiple areas of her body.
She described the alleged attack to congressional investigators as “brutal.”
Keul further alleged that Trump pressured her to remain silent afterward. She said he repeated his earlier promises about helping her secure a visa and attend NYU before telling her, “[T]he show must go on.”
The report states that Keul continued participating in the pageant despite being terrified. She claimed organizers had taken possession of her passport when she arrived, leaving her afraid to demand its return before the competition ended.
Keul eventually returned to Switzerland and declined an invitation to participate in another Trump-sponsored competition in Hawaii. She also alleged that Trump contacted her months later and renewed his offers of assistance, which she rejected.
The rape allegation expands on statements Beatrice Keul made publicly in October 2024. As The Independent reported at the time, she previously accused Trump of unwanted kissing and groping but described managing to stop the encounter from escalating.
In her earlier account, Keul said, “He kissed me on the lips and on the neck. He tried to lift my dress. He was grabbing and touching my body everywhere he could.”
The new congressional account describes a more severe alleged assault. Committee staff said they interviewed Keul extensively over several weeks, but the released report does not include a complete transcript of those conversations.
The report also contains photographs provided by Keul showing her alongside Trump at the 1993 event. Congressional Democrats pointed to accounts from other pageant participants and earlier allegations by Harth as supporting context. Those materials do not independently establish that the alleged rape occurred.
The broader investigation examines allegations involving several other women, including former model Stacey Williams, who accused Trump of groping her inside Trump Tower while Epstein was present. Harth also alleged in a 1997 lawsuit that Trump forcibly kissed and fondled her at Mar-a-Lago.
House Judiciary Committee Democrats contend that Trump’s connections to Epstein, modeling agencies and beauty pageants warrant further criminal investigation. Their report describes the 1993 competition as a “hunting ground” for vulnerable young women and girls.
The committee’s Democratic staff also accused the Justice Department of withholding relevant information about Epstein’s alleged accomplices. Those claims represent the Democrats’ findings and allegations, not conclusions established by a court or adopted by the full House Judiciary Committee.
The White House rejected the report. Spokesperson Lauren Bis issued the following statement:
“None of these allegations are true. 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. The President kicked Jeffrey Epstein out of his club at Mar-a-Lago because he was a creep, and he has been fully exonerated of anything related to Epstein.”
Trump has repeatedly denied involvement in Epstein’s criminal activities. His past association with Epstein has been documented through photographs, public statements and other records, but that association alone does not establish criminal wrongdoing.
Representative Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has called for an independent special counsel to investigate potential Epstein accomplices and the Justice Department’s handling of investigative material.
