Justice Department Opens Criminal Investigation Into E. Jean Carroll

What started as one of the most explosive legal battles involving President Donald Trump has now taken another dramatic turn, this time with the woman who accused him under federal investigation herself.

The U.S. Justice Department has reportedly launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store during the mid-1990s. According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, investigators are examining whether Carroll may have committed perjury during testimony connected to her lawsuits against the president.

At the center of the investigation is a statement Carroll made during a 2022 deposition. When questioned by Trump attorney Alina Habba, Carroll said she had not received outside financial support for her legal battle. However, it later surfaced that billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman had helped cover some of her legal expenses through a nonprofit organization.

That revelation surprised Trump’s legal team and immediately became a flashpoint in the already bitter courtroom fight.

Carroll’s attorneys later clarified that she had no direct relationship with Hoffman or the nonprofit funding the case. Still, Trump’s lawyers accused her legal team of hiding the truth for months. The judge eventually allowed Trump’s attorneys to question Carroll again in a follow-up deposition, though those details have never been publicly released.

Despite the controversy, Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled at the time that the funding issue did not damage Carroll’s credibility and prevented Trump’s attorneys from raising it during trial.

The investigation is also drawing attention because of the political backdrop surrounding it. Critics argue the Justice Department, now under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, has aggressively pursued cases aligned with Trump’s long-standing grievances against political and personal opponents. Blanche himself has reportedly stepped away from this specific matter because he previously represented Trump during Carroll-related appeals.

Federal prosecutors in Chicago are now handling the case, partly because Hoffman’s nonprofit is based there.

Meanwhile, Carroll and Trump remain locked in multiple legal battles. Juries previously awarded Carroll millions in damages after finding Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation. Trump continues to appeal both rulings, including taking one case to the U.S. Supreme Court.

For now, the investigation adds yet another layer to an already extraordinary legal and political saga, one that continues to blur the lines between courtroom drama, presidential politics, and public scrutiny.