Former House GOP aide charged with faking a violent political attack on herself

A New Jersey woman who worked as a congressman for Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., has been accused of staging a fake political attack that included writing and scarring her body.

Natalie Greene, 26, made her first court appearance Wednesday on charges that include one count of conspiracy to transmit false statements and hoaxes and one count of making false statements to federal law enforcement in an organized attack.

Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.

“We are deeply saddened by today’s news and, although Natalie is no longer associated with the Congressman’s government office, our thoughts and prayers are with her. We hope she receives the care she needs,” a spokesperson for Van Drew said in a statement.

According to the criminal complaint, on July 23, a co-conspirator called 911 and claimed “three guys just attacked us” while she and Greene were walking along a trail in a New Jersey nature preserve.

“They were attacking him. It was like talking about politics and stuff. It was like insulting him,” the co-conspirator allegedly told the 911 operator, adding that the attackers made reference to Greene and his work for Van Drew.

Egg Harbor Township police found Greene with cuts to her face and upper body, as well as her hands and feet tied together and said she was crying in tears that one of the alleged attackers “had a gun” and had threatened to shoot her, according to the complaint.

Greene’s shirt had been pulled over his head and secured with a zipper, the complaint states, and the words “TRUMP WHORE” were written on his stomach, with another message saying Van Drew “IS RACIST” emblazoned on his back.

Greene later told law enforcement that her attackers hit her in the head, held her to the ground, used a sharp object to cut her and wrote the messages found on her body, according to court documents.

An investigation revealed that Greene paid a scarification artist to use a scalpel to slash parts of her body in a pattern she had directed before the incident, according to the complaint.

Investigators said black zip ties were found in Greene’s car the night of the alleged attack and were similar to those used to restrain her.

Investigators also discovered that two days before the attack, Greene’s alleged co-conspirator’s phone was used to search for “zip ties near me.”

Greene was released on $200,000 unsecured bond and additional conditions.