DOJ Opens Perjury Probe Into E. Jean Carroll Over Lawsuit Funding

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll committed perjury during civil lawsuits she filed against President Trump. The inquiry examines statements Carroll made in a 2022 deposition about outside funding for those cases.

Carroll, now 82, accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store dressing room in the mid-1990s. A 2023 federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded Carroll $5 million. A separate 2024 jury found Trump liable for additional defamation and awarded her $83.3 million, including $65 million in punitive damages. Both judgments were upheld on appeal by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to review the first verdict.

The new investigation centers on Carroll’s deposition testimony that she received no outside funding for the lawsuits. Court filings later showed that Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder and Democratic donor, paid some of her legal fees and expenses through his Chicago-based nonprofit. Trump’s lawyers raised the funding issue during the first trial and on appeal. The Second Circuit ruled that Carroll had “plausibly represented” she had forgotten about the limited outside funding and that she was not involved in decisions about who paid the costs.

CNN first reported the existence of the probe. CBS News and ABC News confirmed details through sources familiar with the matter. The investigation is being led by Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois appointed by Trump. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recused himself because he previously represented Trump in the Carroll appeals.

Carroll’s lawyer has not commented. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment. Hoffman’s nonprofit also has not responded to requests for comment. The probe’s assignment to the Northern District of Illinois aligns with Hoffman’s nonprofit location, though the deposition occurred in New York.

Trump has denied ever meeting Carroll and has continued to challenge the verdicts. The investigation adds to a series of Justice Department actions targeting figures who pursued cases against him.