DOJ Reportedly Opens Criminal Inquiry Into E. Jean Carroll

The Justice Department is reportedly conducting a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault and later won civil judgments against him for sexual abuse and defamation.

The key wording matters. CBS News and CNN report an investigation into possible perjury. That is not the same as an indictment, a criminal charge or a finding that Carroll lied.

What happened

CBS News reported on May 27 that DOJ is investigating whether Carroll committed perjury in connection with her civil lawsuits against President Trump. CNN earlier reported the investigation, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.

According to CBS, the investigation is being led out of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois. The reported theory centers on whether Carroll lied in a 2022 deposition when she said she had not received outside funding for her lawsuit.

What the funding issue is

The issue concerns legal-expense support connected to billionaire Reid Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder. CBS reported that Hoffman helped pay for some of Carroll's legal expenses, and that Trump's lawyers raised the issue in court filings before trial.

The distinction is narrow but important. The reported question is not whether Carroll's underlying civil claims were true or false. It is whether a deposition answer about lawsuit funding was knowingly false.

Image: New York court-area street scene - Wikimedia Commons

What the civil cases found

Carroll sued Trump in two civil cases over sexual assault and defamation allegations. In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded Carroll $5 million. In 2024, a second jury awarded her $83.3 million in a separate defamation case.

Trump has denied Carroll's allegations and has appealed. AP reported earlier this month that Trump's lawyers asked a federal appeals court to block collection of the $83 million judgment while he pursues further review.

What is known and what is not

Known: major outlets report that DOJ has opened a criminal investigation into possible perjury tied to Carroll's civil litigation. Known: the reported focus is outside funding and deposition testimony. Known: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who represented Trump in some litigation, is reportedly recused.

Not known from public records: whether prosecutors will bring any charge, what evidence investigators have, or how DOJ explains the decision internally. There is also no public DOJ press release announcing charges against Carroll.

Why it matters

The investigation lands inside a politically explosive legal history. Carroll is not just a private litigant; she is the plaintiff who won civil judgments against the sitting president. That makes every word of the source trail important.

The clean read is not that Carroll has been found guilty of anything. The clean read is that DOJ is reportedly examining a possible perjury issue arising from her civil litigation against Trump.

NoDechev status: reported investigation, no public charge. Treat the perjury angle as an allegation under review, not a conclusion.