US Justice Department opens criminal probe into Trump accuser E. Jean Carroll

The US Justice Department has reportedly launched a criminal investigation into writer and former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll over allegations that she may have committed perjury during testimony connected to her civil lawsuits against US President Donald Trump.

According to multiple reports, investigators are examining statements Carroll made in a 2022 deposition in which she claimed she had received no outside funding for her legal battle against Trump. The matter later drew attention after it emerged that billionaire entrepreneur Reid Hoffman had helped cover some of her legal expenses through a nonprofit organisation.

According to a report by CNN, Carroll had filed two lawsuits against Trump, one accusing him of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s, and another alleging defamation after Trump publicly denied the allegations in 2019 and claimed she fabricated the story to promote her book.

The investigation is reportedly being handled by federal prosecutors in Chicago after senior Justice Department officials referred the matter there. Reports stated that acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has recused himself from the case because he previously represented Trump during the Carroll appeals, as reported by CNN.

During a videotaped deposition in 2022, Carroll reportedly told Trump attorney Alina Habba that no third party was funding her legal fees. However, shortly before trial, Carroll’s legal team informed the court that Hoffman’s nonprofit had provided financial assistance. Carroll’s lawyers maintained that she had never communicated with anyone associated with the nonprofit.

Habba had earlier argued in court that Carroll’s team “conspired to conceal the truth for nearly six months,” CNN has quoted.

Judge Lewis Kaplan later allowed Trump’s legal team to question Carroll again in a separate deposition, though that testimony has not been made public. The judge also ruled that the funding issue did not affect Carroll’s credibility during the trial proceedings, as reported by CNN.

Carroll continues to remain involved in legal battles with Trump after juries awarded her millions of dollars in damages in separate civil cases. Trump has appealed both rulings, including the $5 million sexual abuse judgment and the $83 million defamation verdict, CNN has reported.