US justice department launches criminal investigation into Trump accuser E Jean Carroll, reports say
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- The US Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into writer E Jean Carroll, examining whether she committed perjury related to civil cases she brought against former President Donald Trump.
- Carroll accused Trump of sexual assault and defamation, winning two lawsuits against him, with judgments upheld on appeal; Trump has denied the allegations and appealed to the Supreme Court.
- The investigation focuses on Carroll's 2022 deposition statement claiming she received no outside funding for her lawsuit, despite evidence that LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman helped pay some legal fees.
- The US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois is leading the probe, partly due to Hoffman's Chicago-based nonprofit involvement in funding Carroll's legal expenses.
- Trump was found liable for sexual assault and defamation in 2023 and 2024, resulting in multimillion-dollar damages awarded to Carroll, which Trump is contesting through appeals.