DOJ Launches Probe into Writer Carroll Over Testimony in Trump Cases

The US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused US President Donald Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The investigation is focused on whether Carroll committed perjury during testimony connected to two civil lawsuits that she won against Trump — one relating to her allegations that he sexually abused her in a New York department store, and another concerning defamatory remarks he made in 2019, the source said. The source requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing.

CNN first reported the development.

The probe, which is being led by the US Attorney’s Office in Chicago, may not necessarily result in charges being brought against Carroll.

The Justice Department and Carroll’s lawyer, Robbie Kaplan, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Since last year, Trump’s Justice Department has pursued a series of investigations into individuals viewed as antagonistic towards the president and, in some cases, has filed criminal charges.

According to the source, prosecutors are examining a statement Carroll made during a 2022 deposition in which the former Elle magazine columnist said she had received no outside funding for her lawsuit. Her legal team later disclosed that Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, had covered some of her legal expenses.

A jury in May 2023 found that Trump had sexually assaulted Carroll and defamed her by denying the allegations, although it did not find him liable for rape. Another jury, in January 2024, found that Trump had again defamed Carroll and ordered him to pay $83.3 million in damages.

Trump has denied all wrongdoing and remains engaged in legal disputes with Carroll.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has moved swiftly to implement Trump’s agenda since succeeding Pam Bondi, has reportedly recused himself from the department’s investigation because he previously represented Trump in Carroll-related appeals, the source added.

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