The Department of Justice has initiated a criminal investigation involving E. Jean Carroll, who previously accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault.
CNN reported that the Justice Department is examining whether Carroll, 82, committed perjury during testimony related to her two civil lawsuits against Trump. Carroll had earlier sued Trump, 79, for allegedly sexually assaulting her in a department store dressing room in the 1990s and for defamation in 2019 after he denied the allegations.
The investigation by the Justice Department centers on a statement Carroll made during a 2022 deposition, where she claimed to have received no external funding for her lawsuit. It was later disclosed that billionaire Reid Hoffman had contributed to some of her legal fees and expenses through his nonprofit organization.
Attorney General Todd Blanche has recused himself from the investigation. Before taking over from Pam Bondi, Blanche served as one of Trumpâs personal attorneys in the Carroll case. The U.S. Attorneyâs Office for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago will lead the investigation.
Donald Trump must pay E. Jean Carroll a total of $83.3 million in damages after defaming her in 2019. A jury ruled on Friday, January 26, that Trump, 77, must pay the journalist, 80, after disparaging her while denying her rape allegations. Carroll will receive $11 million for damage to her reputation, $7.3 million for [âŠ]
A source familiar with the case informed Us Weekly that Carroll is “not the subject of the investigation.”
“The investigation is related to her deposition and perjury but it’s more focused on Reid Hoffman’s nonprofit,” the source elaborated.
A Department of Justice spokesperson told Us that they “do not comment on investigations.”
Us has reached out to Carrollâs spokesperson for further comment.
The legal issues between Carroll and Trump began in 2019 when Carroll accused him of rape. Trump strongly denied the allegations, asserting that Carroll was not his type and accusing her of fabricating the assault to sell her book.
In 2023, the first lawsuit went to trial, where a jury concluded that Carroll did not prove Trump raped her, but did establish that he was responsible for a lesser degree of sexual abuse. Additionally, the jury found Trump had defamed Carroll with false statements made with actual malice, awarding her $5 million in damages. Trump appealed the verdict, but the judge denied his request for a new trial.
President Donald Trump has announced another cabinet shakeup with the departure of Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump sent shockwaves through the beltway on April 2, 2026, when he announced that Bondi will soon be leaving his administration for âa much needed and important new job.â However, multiple media outlets reported that Bondi was actually fired [âŠ]
A year later, Carroll and Trump returned to court for her defamation lawsuit. In January 2024, the jury awarded Carroll $11 million for reputational damage, $7.3 million for emotional distress, and $65 million in punitive damages.
Following the verdict, Trump took to social media to criticize the decision.
“Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole [Joe] Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party,” he wrote on Truth Social. “Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!”
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