Trump Sexual Assault Accuser Who Won Millions is Now Under Federal Investigation
The Justice Department has reportedly opened a criminal inquiry into E. Jean Carroll, examining whether she committed perjury during her civil litigation against President Donald Trump.
The inquiry centers on Carroll’s 2022 testimony, in which she said she had not received outside financial assistance for her civil lawsuits against the President, according to Reuters. Carroll brought one case accusing Trump of sexual abuse in a New York department store in the 1990s, while a separate case involved allegations of defamation tied to statements made in 2019.
The matter has drawn renewed attention because billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman later informed the judge and Trump’s legal team that a nonprofit he helped fund had provided support for some legal expenses, Reuters reported. The New York Times first reported in 2023 that Hoffman had made a grant of an unspecified amount that helped Carroll cover legal costs.
Hoffman is a major Democratic donor who has contributed large sums to Democratic candidates and causes, including nearly $700,000 to the Biden Victory Fund. He has also faced scrutiny over his past association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, including a visit to Epstein’s private island in 2014, years after Epstein pleaded guilty to charges in 2008.
Carroll’s attorneys have maintained that they never spoke or met with anyone connected to the nonprofit, according to The Guardian.
The development adds another layer of controversy to the long-running legal fight between Carroll and President Trump, a case that conservatives have viewed as part of a broader pattern of legal warfare against Trump as he returned to political power.
Trump was found liable for defamation and battery, but not rape, in one civil case, with Carroll awarded $5 million in damages. In January 2024, a separate civil case resulted in an $83.3 million damages award after a jury found that Trump had defamed her.
President Trump has argued that Carroll and the jury were interfering with the 2024 presidential election through the case brought against him.
The reported inquiry is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago. Reuters noted that the investigation may not ultimately result in charges against Carroll.
Still, the probe raises serious questions about financial backing, political influence, and whether key testimony in one of the most high-profile civil cases against President Trump was complete and accurate.
For conservatives, the case reinforces a larger concern: while President Trump has faced years of aggressive lawsuits, investigations, and legal attacks, the people and political networks behind those efforts have often received far less scrutiny.
If the Justice Department’s inquiry uncovers inconsistencies, it could reshape public understanding of one of the most politically charged legal battles surrounding the President.