A GOP congressman’s staffer is facing federal charges after allegedly staging a bizarre hoax in which she claimed to have been kidnapped by anti-Trump activists.
Natalie Greene, 26, reportedly tied her own hands and feet with zip ties in the woods, with the help of an accomplice, and wrote the words “Trump w***e” on her stomach. According to authorities, she also had “[Federal Official 1] IS RACIST” written on her back.
The United States Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, says Greene directed her co-conspirator to contact law enforcement late at night on July 23, 2025, claiming that men who knew her by name had attacked her. The co-conspirator also claimed the attackers referenced Greene’s employment by “Federal Official 1.”
Greene was found near a nature reserve in Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, about 10 miles from Atlantic City, with her shirt pulled over her head and zip ties binding her limbs. She told officers that three men had threatened her with a gun. Days later, she received medical attention for lacerations that were initially thought to be caused by the zip ties.
An FBI investigation, however, revealed that the lacerations were allegedly self-inflicted with the help of a body modification artist. Investigators reportedly recovered a scar pattern that Greene had provided to the artist and say she paid $500 for the procedure.
Authorities also found zip ties similar to those used in the staged incident inside Greene’s car. A search of her accomplice’s phone revealed an internet query for “zip ties near me.”
Greene appeared in federal court on November 19, 2025, and was released on a $200,000 unsecured bond under undisclosed conditions. She 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.
CNN reported that GOP Representative Jeff Van Drew’s office confirmed Greene had worked there, though it’s unclear if his name appeared 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. “We hope she’s getting the care she needs.”
The case, blending political messaging, self-inflicted injuries, and a staged kidnapping, has left authorities and the public struggling to understand what drove Greene to such an elaborate deception.
