Jill Harth Lawsuit: Federal Complaint Alleging Groping and Attempted Rape from 1992 to 1997
Tier 2Voluntarily Dismissed1992-12-01 to 2016-10-12
Factual Summary
On April 25, 1997, Jill Harth filed a federal lawsuit against Donald Trump alleging a pattern of sexual harassment and assault spanning from 1992 to 1997. The complaint alleged hostile and offensive sexual behavior on multiple occasions.
The business relationship between Harth and Trump began in late 1992. Harth and her then-boyfriend, George Houraney, were working with Trump on a pin-up competition event. In December 1992, during a business dinner with Trump and Houraney, Harth alleged that Trump reached under the table and groped her between her legs while continuing to make conversation and "name-dropping throughout."
During the same period, Harth alleged that Trump offered her a tour of his property and led her into the empty bedroom of his daughter Ivanka. Once inside, Trump allegedly pushed her against a wall and groped her while attempting to kiss her. Harth stated she "desperately protested" and eventually managed to run out of the room.
In a separate incident described in the lawsuit as an attempted rape, Harth alleged that Trump made escalated sexual advances. Harth later told reporters: "It's a good thing I had pants on, that's all I can say." She described becoming physically ill during the encounter.
The lawsuit also alleged that Trump repeatedly propositioned Harth for sex and subjected her to hostile behavior over the course of several years.
Less than a month after filing the complaint, Harth voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit without prejudice, meaning she retained the right to refile. Harth stated that she withdrew the suit as a condition of settling a separate financial dispute between Trump and Houraney related to their business partnership.
In July 2016, when asked by The Guardian whether she stood by the allegations in the 1997 lawsuit, Harth confirmed in a text message: "Yes." She told reporters she had never recanted and rejected requests from the Trump campaign to withdraw her account. The lawsuit filing and Harth's subsequent reaffirmation make this one of the earliest public accusations of sexual misconduct against Trump.
Primary Sources
1. Harth v. Trump, complaint filed April 25, 1997, U.S. District Court (full text available via Scribd): https://www.scribd.com/doc/300193678/1997-Jill-Harth-Lawsuit
2. Law & Crime: "Exclusive: Inside The $125 Million Donald Trump Sexual Assault Lawsuit," October 2016: https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/exclusive-inside-the-donald-trump-sexual-assault-lawsuit/
3. Court docket showing voluntary dismissal without prejudice, 1997
Corroborating Sources
1. Slate: "The 1997 Lawsuit Alleging Trump Groped a Woman Just as He Bragged About on Video," October 2016
2. Guardian: Harth's July 2016 reaffirmation of allegations
3. Media Matters: "Meet Jill Harth, One Of The Trump Sexual Assault Accusers His Media Surrogates Ignore," 2016
4. 19th News: "Defend and deny: What we know about Trump and accusations of sexual misconduct," October 2023
Counterarguments and Context
Trump has denied all of Harth's allegations. In a 1996 National Enquirer interview predating the lawsuit, Trump stated that Harth "was trying to get into my pants." After the allegations resurfaced in 2016, Trump's attorney Michael Cohen stated: "There is no truth to the story at all." The Trump campaign called the claims "meritless." Harth's voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit has been cited by Trump's defenders as evidence that the claims lacked substance. However, Harth has consistently maintained that she dismissed the suit solely as a condition of the separate business settlement and that the underlying allegations remain true. The lawsuit was never adjudicated on its merits.
Author's Note
This entry is classified as Tier 2 because a formal federal lawsuit containing detailed, sworn allegations was filed in a court of law, even though the case was voluntarily dismissed before adjudication. The filing of the complaint constitutes a formal legal proceeding with specific, named allegations. Harth's decision to reaffirm her allegations nearly 20 years later, at a time when she faced public scrutiny and pressure from the Trump campaign, is relevant to assessing the credibility of the original claims. This case is historically significant as one of the earliest documented accusations against Trump, predating the E. Jean Carroll matter and all of the October 2016 accusers.