Chicago – May 27, 2026
The U.S. Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the author who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. The probe centers on whether Carroll committed perjury during her civil litigation against Trump.
Prosecutors are examining Carroll’s 2022 deposition testimony in which she stated no one was paying her legal fees. This claim contradicted later revelations that billionaire Reid Hoffman’s nonprofit covered some of her legal costs. Carroll, 82, previously secured a $5 million civil verdict against Trump for sexual assault and defamation, with an appeals court later upholding an $83 million defamation judgment.
Andrew Boutros, U.S. attorney for Northern Illinois appointed by Trump, initiated the inquiry. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recused himself from the case due to his role representing Trump in Carroll’s civil matter. CNN first reported the investigation’s existence.
Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s, a claim Trump has consistently denied.
