The Department of Justice has commenced a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the columnist who accused former President Donald Trump of sexual assault, according to multiple news outlets.
According to reports from the New York Times and CNN, prosecutors are examining whether Carroll, now 82, committed perjury during a 2022 deposition related to her civil lawsuits against Trump, in which she alleged she received no external financial support for her legal efforts.
Six months later, before the trial began, Carroll’s attorneys disclosed to the judge and to Trump’s legal team that a nonprofit backed by billionaire Reid Hoffman, co‑founder of LinkedIn, had covered certain legal costs. Trump’s counsel claimed Carroll concealed Hoffman’s involvement, arguing that this omission damaged her credibility.
Carroll’s lawyers maintained that she never met or communicated with anyone from the nonprofit. The court subsequently permitted Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, to question Carroll again in a second deposition.
In 2024, a three‑judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York rejected the assertion that Carroll had perjured herself during her deposition.
Carroll, a longtime advice‑columnist, alleged in her 2019 book What Do We Need Men For? that Trump forcibly assaulted her in a dressing room at a New York department store. Trump has denied the claim, labeling Carroll a liar and stating she was “not my type.”
Carroll filed a federal civil lawsuit against Trump for sexual abuse and defamation. A jury found Trump liable on both counts and awarded her $5 million in damages. Subsequently, a separate jury ordered Trump to pay $83 million in a distinct defamation case. Trump has appealed both verdicts.
CNN and the New York Times reported that Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, recused himself from the Justice Department investigation because of his prior representation of Trump in Carroll’s civil matter.
The reported federal inquiry into Carroll represents the latest instance of the Justice Department opening criminal investigations into political opponents of Trump.
Federal prosecutors have also examined former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Democratic lawmakers such as Adam Schiff and Ilhan Omar, though none of these investigations have resulted in convictions to date.
The Justice Department and Carroll’s legal team did not immediately respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.
Robert Mackey contributed reporting
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