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The US justice department has opened a criminal investigation into whether writer and former advice columnist E Jean Carroll lied under oath during civil litigation against US President Donald Trump, according to US media reports.As per news agency AP, the investigation is being handled by federal prosecutors in Chicago and is examining possible perjury linked to Carroll’s testimony during her lawsuits against Trump.A person familiar with the matter told AP that acting attorney general Todd Blanche has recused himself from the case because he previously served as Trump’s personal attorney.Prosecutors are specifically examining whether Carroll falsely stated during a 2022 deposition that she had received no outside financial support for her lawsuits.The issue later surfaced when it emerged that billionaire entrepreneur Reid Hoffman had helped cover some legal fees and expenses through a nonprofit organisation.
Probe linked to funding disclosure dispute
During a videotaped deposition in 2022, Carroll reportedly told Trump lawyer Alina Habba that no outside party was funding her legal battle. However, according to CNN, Carroll’s legal team later informed the court ahead of trial that Hoffman’s nonprofit had provided financial backing. Trump’s lawyers accused Carroll’s side of concealing the information for months.The judge subsequently allowed Trump’s legal team to question Carroll again in a second deposition, though that testimony has not been made public.
Civil cases against Trump
Carroll had accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in Manhattan in the mid-1990s. Trump denied the allegations and described them as a “made-up scam”.In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages.A year later, another jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million in a defamation case after Trump repeatedly attacked her publicly.A federal appeals court earlier this month allowed Trump to delay payment of the defamation award while the US Supreme Court considers whether to hear his appeal.Trump was required to post a $7.4 million bond to cover additional interest costs.The investigation is the latest in a series of actions by the Trump administration’s justice department against individuals viewed as political adversaries.Critics, including Democrats and former officials, have raised concerns that the department is increasingly being used for political retaliation.Senior justice department officials referred the matter to prosecutors in Chicago because one of the organisations linked to Carroll’s legal funding is based there.
