Politics
E. Jean Carroll Is Being Investigated for Perjury by Trump’s Own DOJ
By Erica Coleman · May 28, 2026
E. Jean Carroll accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store in the 1990s. Two separate juries agreed, awarding her a combined $88.3 million in damages. Both verdicts survived appeal. Now the Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into whether Carroll committed perjury in the process.
The DOJ launched a criminal probe into Carroll for potential perjury in testimony during her civil lawsuits against Trump, CNN reported Tuesday evening, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter. The investigation is being led by the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois — an office whose current US Attorney, Andrew Boutros, was appointed by Trump last year.
The theory of the case centers on a 2022 deposition. In that deposition, Carroll said no one else was paying her legal fees. It was later revealed that Reid Hoffman — the LinkedIn co-founder and prominent Democratic donor — had contributed to Carroll’s legal costs through a nonprofit he operates in Chicago. Prosecutors are examining whether that discrepancy constitutes perjury.
In a 2024 ruling, however, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit addressed Hoffman’s involvement directly.
Hoffman himself said in a 2023 Washington Post interview that his team “didn’t encourage the lawsuit to happen, we only got on board after she’d already filed.”
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has recused himself from the investigation. Blanche — who served as Trump’s personal attorney and represented him in the Carroll appeals before his appointment as acting AG — is barred from participating in decisions about a case he personally litigated. The investigation is proceeding without him.
Carroll’s attorney Roberta Kaplan declined to comment. Kaplan’s office did not respond to requests from multiple outlets. Carroll has not spoken publicly about the investigation.
The investigation is the latest action by the Trump DOJ against individuals who brought or supported legal cases against the president. Prosecutors have also examined whether other Trump accusers or their supporters engaged in improper conduct, and the Jan. 6 compensation fund — announced last week — is expressly designed to compensate people the administration believes were targeted by the prior DOJ. Critics, including former federal prosecutors, have described the Carroll investigation as a use of criminal law to pursue political retribution. Administration allies describe it as a legitimate examination of potential perjury that the prior DOJ declined to pursue.
What is not disputed: the two jury verdicts that found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation remain intact and in force, surviving every appeal his legal team has filed.