A GOP congressman’s staffer has been accused of staging an elaborate hoax in which she allegedly claimed to have been kidnapped by anti-Trump activists.
Natalie Greene, 26, allegedly tied her own limbs with zip ties in the woods, with the help of an accomplice, and wrote the words “Trump w***e” on her chest.
According to a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, Greene ordered her co-conspirator to contact law enforcement officers late at night on July 23, 2025, and to claim that they had been attacked by men who knew the staffer by name.
The co-conspirator also claimed the men had referenced Greene’s employment by a man named in the press release as “Federal Official 1.”
Greene was found near a nature reserve near Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, 10 miles from Atlantic City, with her hands and feet bound by zip ties and with her shirt pulled over her head.
In addition to the words “TRUMP W***E” being written on her stomach, the phrase “[Federal Official 1] IS RACIST” was written on her back, according to the press statement.
Greene told officers that her three attackers had threatened her with a gun. Days later, she received medical attention for laceration wounds, which were thought to have been caused by the zip ties.
However, an investigation, which included an FBI agent, found that the laceration marks had allegedly been deliberately cut into her face, neck, upper chest, and shoulder by a body modification artist.
Officers later recovered a proposed pattern for the scars, which Greene allegedly gave to the artist, according to the press statement. The criminal complaint filed against Greene claimed that she paid $500 for the painful procedure.
Investigators also found zip ties, similar to the ones used to bind Greene’s limbs, inside her car. A search of her accomplice’s phone also found an internet search which read “zip ties near me.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office statement stated that Greene made her initial appearance in a federal court on November 19, 2025. She has since been released on a $200,000 unsecured bond, which came with undisclosed conditions.
Greene has been charged with one count of conspiracy to convey false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement.
According to CNN, GOP Representative Jeff Van Drew’s office confirmed that Greene worked there, although it is unknown whether his name was written on her body.
“Today’s news deeply saddens us, and while Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her,” Van Drew’s office said in a statement, seen by CNN. “We hope she’s getting the care she needs.”
The Independent has contacted Van Drew’s office for further comment.
