E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault, is now under federal criminal investigation, multiple outlets report. The probe, led by the Department of Justice, centers on whether Carroll committed perjury during her two civil cases against Trump.
Carroll sued Trump for sexual abuse, alleging he assaulted her in a New York department store in the 1990s. She brought a second defamation suit after Trump denied the incident and claimed she fabricated it to promote her book. In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for defamation and sexual abuse, awarding Carroll $5 million; an appeal for a new trial was later denied.
According to CNN, which first reported the investigation, prosecutors suspect Carroll may have lied in a 2022 deposition when she stated she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. Subsequent reports revealed that billionaire Reid Hoffman may have covered some of her legal fees and expenses.
TMZ has reached out to Carroll's representatives but has not yet received a response.