Trump envoy Paolo Zampolli accused of drugging and raping woman in civil lawsuit; he denies it

Mixed · 2Paolo Zampolli, 56, a longtime associate of President Donald Trump who has served as special envoy for global partnerships since March 2025, is accused in a civil lawsuit of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his Manhattan townhouse. 1 2 Mixed · 2The plaintiff is Victoria Drake, 33, a tech entrepreneur (Newsweek also calls her a model). The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on September 3, and an initial trial conference is scheduled for November 6. 2 1 Centre · 1According to the complaint, Zampolli approached Drake at the Zero Bond private members' club in Manhattan on October 5, 2023, and the two said they recognised each other from Mar-a-Lago. Newsweek reports that Drake visited his townhouse that night with a friend and left without issue, and that he invited her again the following morning. 2

Centre · 1Newsweek's account of the complaint says that around 1:45 a.m. on October 7 Zampolli invited Drake to a "get together" with MIT and Harvard graduates, and that she arrived at about 3 a.m. She alleges he offered her a drink and she lost consciousness after seeing him "consume copious amounts of cocaine." 2 Mixed · 2Drake alleges she briefly regained consciousness, found herself naked in a bed while Zampolli assaulted her with his hands around her neck, and that she "did not and could not consent." She says she woke with bruises on her hips and legs and could not find her clothes. 1 2 Mixed · 2The complaint says Drake reported the incident to the NYPD the next day and underwent a drug-facilitated sexual assault exam and a sexual assault forensic exam at a hospital. Newsweek adds that she was prescribed medication to prevent sexually transmitted infections. Raw Story names the hospital as Lenox Health Greenwich Hospital and says she was taken there by ambulance. 1 2

Mixed · 2Zampolli denies the allegations. He told the Substack PunchUp, which first reported the lawsuit, that they are an attempt to extort or damage him. He says police closed the complaint, and Raw Story reports there is no evidence he was arrested; the NYPD did not answer questions about why the case was not pursued. 2 1 Mixed · 2In April, Zampolli filed a criminal complaint against Drake in Rome accusing her of false and defamatory accusations (Newsweek says it alleges extortion). Raw Story reports he plans to countersue for $100 million and called her "out of her mind." He said he has not discussed the lawsuit with the White House, and the White House and State Department did not respond to PunchUp's requests for comment. The allegations have not been adjudicated. 1 2 Left · 1Raw Story adds context: Zampolli's name appears several times in the Jeffrey Epstein files, including an FBI memo recording a former Epstein assistant saying he tried to buy the Elite Model Management agency with Epstein, though none of the released files establish wrongdoing by him. It also notes his custody dispute with former partner Amanda Ungaro, who accused him of using connections to get her detained by ICE; he denies involvement and DHS says political influence played no role. 1

Mixed · 2Both outlets note Zampolli's long-standing claim that he introduced Donald Trump to Melania Trump; Newsweek dates this to a 1998 New York Fashion Week party, and Raw Story says he reportedly arranged a visa for then-Melania Knauss to work in the U.S. 2 1