The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer whose sexual assault and defamation lawsuits against President Donald Trump produced major civil judgments that the president is now appealing.
The inquiry centers on whether Carroll gave false testimony under oath during litigation involving her claims against Trump, according to multiple reports.
Investigators are examining a 2022 deposition in which Carroll said no outside parties were helping finance her lawsuits. Later disclosures showed that billionaire Reid Hoffman had paid certain legal costs and related expenses through a nonprofit organization.
Carroll’s cases stemmed from her allegation that Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s, as well as Trump’s later public denials. Trump said Carroll was not his type and accused her of fabricating the allegation to sell a book.
Carroll’s public comments after making the allegation have also drawn renewed scrutiny from Trump’s allies. In a 2019 interview with Anderson Cooper, Carroll rejected the conventional language of victimhood, saying, “Every woman gets to choose her word,” and adding, “My word is fight. My word is not the victim word.” In the same interview, she made remarks about rape that Cooper quickly pushed back on, prompting the network to cut to a commercial break, explained The Washington Post.
Carroll also gave an unusual answer when Vanity Fair asked how her life had been since accusing Trump. “Fabulous. Buoyant,” she said. Critics have cited those comments as part of a broader effort to challenge Carroll’s credibility, while her defenders have argued that her public persona and rhetorical style do not undermine the substance of her legal claims. In 2023, it was revealed that most of her cases were funded by liberal megadonor Reid Hoffman, who has been connected to Jeff Epstein.
The investigation comes as the Justice Department has taken a more aggressive posture toward figures long viewed as Trump adversaries. Since becoming acting attorney general in April, Todd Blanche has moved quickly on several matters aligned with the president’s priorities, though those efforts have drawn criticism and are expected to face legal challenges over claims of political motivation.
Blanche has recused himself from the Carroll matter because he previously represented Trump in appeals connected to the litigation. He has not taken part in meetings or discussions about the probe, which is being handled by other senior officials in the deputy attorney general’s office.
Department leaders have assigned the investigation to federal prosecutors in Chicago. Although Carroll’s deposition took place in New York, the venue appears connected to the location of Hoffman’s nonprofit organization.
The funding arrangement surprised Trump’s legal team when it emerged shortly before trial. During her 2022 videotaped deposition, Carroll told Trump’s then-attorney Alina Habba that no one else was supporting her legal fees. Weeks later, Carroll’s lawyers informed the court and Trump’s attorneys about the nonprofit’s support.
Carroll remains locked in litigation with Trump. Juries previously awarded her damages in both the sexual abuse and defamation cases, and Trump is appealing those rulings. He has taken the $5 million sexual abuse verdict to the Supreme Court and has indicated he plans to do the same with the $83 million defamation award.
The Supreme Court has repeatedly delayed deciding whether to accept Trump’s appeal, with the most recent delay coming Wednesday morning.
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