E. Jean Carroll Faces Justice Department Criminal Investigation, Report Says

The legal conflict involving E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump has taken another turn, with reports that Carroll is now under federal criminal investigation over testimony she gave during her civil cases against the president. According to CNN, prosecutors are examining whether she may have committed perjury during a 2022 deposition in which she said no one else was funding her lawsuit against Trump. The reported inquiry centers on whether that statement was accurate, after later revelations suggested that billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman helped cover some of Carroll’s legal fees and related expenses through a nonprofit organization.

Carroll had accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. Trump denied the allegations and said she was not his type, later claiming she fabricated the story to promote her book. The dispute escalated into multiple lawsuits, and juries ultimately awarded Carroll millions of dollars in damages.

The alleged funding arrangement has now become the focus of renewed scrutiny. Trump attorney Alina Habba previously argued that Carroll’s side concealed the outside financial support for months. Carroll’s attorneys later acknowledged that some outside funding existed, but said Carroll herself never communicated with Hoffman or with anyone connected to the nonprofit involved in the support.

The Justice Department under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is reportedly involved in the matter, though Blanche has recused himself because he previously worked as one of Trump’s personal attorneys during the Carroll appeals. The investigation has reportedly been referred to federal prosecutors in Chicago because the nonprofit connected to Hoffman is based there.

Carroll’s legal team has not publicly commented on the reported investigation. CNN said the team declined to respond. The new development adds another layer to an already long-running and highly contentious legal battle that has drawn intense public attention.

Trump is still appealing both of the civil verdicts against him, including the $83 million defamation judgment and the separate $5 million abuse verdict. The Supreme Court has repeatedly delayed deciding whether to take up one of the appeals, leaving the cases unresolved for now.

What began as a civil defamation and sexual assault dispute has therefore expanded into a broader legal and political controversy, with both sides still facing major questions. Carroll’s testimony, the source of her legal funding, and the status of Trump’s appeals are now all under renewed scrutiny. As the cases continue, the long-running feud between Trump and Carroll remains one of the most closely watched legal sagas in the country.