DOJ Launches Criminal Investigation Into E. Jean Carroll Over Alleged Perjury in Trump Cases

A recent U.S. Department of Justice criminal investigation into columnist E. Jean Carroll has once again escalated the long-running legal feud between President Donald Trump and his longtime legal adversary. CNN reported on May 27 that the investigation focuses on whether Carroll committed perjury in two prior civil lawsuits against Trump, while also touching on broader issues such as Silicon Valley billionaire funding of litigation.

DOJ investigation focuses on alleged perjury

Multiple sources familiar with the matter say the U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into 82-year-old former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll. The central question is whether Carroll made false statements during sworn testimony in 2022.

Carroll previously filed two civil lawsuits against Trump. The first alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her in a department store in New York in the mid-1990s. The second was a defamation case after Trump publicly denied the allegations in 2019, said Carroll was “not his type,” and accused her of fabricating the story to promote a book.

Prosecutors are basing part of their theory on Carroll’s 2022 videotaped deposition, in which she stated in response to attorney Alina Habba that no outside party had paid her legal fees.

However, later revelations showed that billionaire Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, had through a nonprofit organization covered part of Carroll’s legal expenses.

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Funding revelation sparks controversy

According to CNN, Hoffman’s involvement was disclosed by Carroll’s legal team only shortly before trial, surprising Trump’s lawyers.

Carroll’s attorneys later informed the court and Trump’s team that a Hoffman-linked nonprofit had provided financial support. They emphasized, however, that Carroll herself had never met Hoffman and had not communicated with anyone connected to the organization.

Habba accused Carroll’s legal team in court of “conspiring to conceal the truth for nearly six months.”

The judge later allowed Trump’s legal team to conduct additional questioning of Carroll, though those transcripts have not been made public.

Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the case, ultimately ruled that the funding issue did not affect Carroll’s credibility and barred the defense from further questioning on the matter during trial.

The Hill noted that Hoffman is a major Democratic donor and a frequent critic of Trump, fueling perceptions among Republicans that the case has political overtones.

Legal battle between Trump and Carroll continues

Despite the criminal investigation, civil litigation between Carroll and Trump is still ongoing.

Two separate juries previously found in Carroll’s favor and awarded her tens of millions of dollars in damages.

Trump has appealed a $5 million judgment to the U.S. Supreme Court and says he will also appeal an $83 million ruling.

Notably, the Supreme Court has delayed 12 times in deciding whether to take up Trump’s appeal, with the most recent delay occurring Wednesday morning.