The Justice Department is examining donor-funded legal support connected to E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits against President Trump, in what appears to be a sharp expansion of the administration’s efforts to investigate people who have challenged him. Unlike many of the other figures now facing scrutiny, Carroll is not a political official, former prosecutor, or public power broker. She is a private citizen and author who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her decades ago and later sued him for defamation and sexual abuse.
According to people familiar with the matter, federal prosecutors are focused on donations made through a nonprofit founded by billionaire Reid Hoffman to help cover Carroll’s legal expenses. Investigators are reportedly reviewing whether Carroll gave accurate answers during civil proceedings when questioned about outside financial support. At this stage, however, the criminal inquiry is said to be centered on Hoffman’s nonprofit, American Future Republic, rather than on Carroll herself, though that could change. Andrew S. Boutros, the U.S. attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, said his office had not opened a criminal investigation into Carroll.
The inquiry has triggered concern because it places a sexual assault accuser under the shadow of a federal criminal investigation, something critics say could discourage survivors from speaking out. Former federal prosecutor Jacqueline Kelly said that survivors already fear being disbelieved and facing retaliation, and that a perjury-focused probe could intensify those fears.
Trump has repeatedly denied Carroll’s allegations and attacked her publicly, calling her a liar and questioning her account of the alleged assault at a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. He has also fought the civil judgments Carroll won against him. In one of those cases, a jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded her $5 million. In a later case, he was ordered to pay additional damages. Those rulings have remained a major legal and political flashpoint, and Trump continues to challenge them on appeal.
The current Justice Department effort appears to fit a broader pattern under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has accelerated investigations involving people who have angered Trump. Recent targets have included former and current officials such as James Comey, Letitia James, Adam Schiff, John Brennan, special counsel Jack Smith, and Fani Willis. Critics argue that this marks a departure from the traditional goal of investigating crimes and instead reflects a personal agenda against enemies of the president.
The dispute over Reid Hoffman’s support dates back to a 2022 deposition and later court filings. Trump’s lawyers argued that Carroll concealed donor backing and that the omission raised questions about her credibility. Carroll’s lawyer said she had not personally arranged the funding and had only later recalled that her attorneys secured help for certain fees. A judge excluded the evidence from the 2023 trial, and an appeals court later upheld that decision, saying Carroll plausibly forgot about the limited funding and that there was no evidence she had been involved in securing it or even knew Hoffman’s political views.
Hoffman condemned the inquiry as an attempt to use government power against women who speak up, while Carroll declined to comment.
