The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the columnist who accused former President Donald Trump of sexual assault and won two federal court cases against him.
Carroll, 82, alleged that Trump raped her in a New York City department store dressing room during the late 1990s. In her lawsuits, she described an incident where Trump allegedly trapped her and engaged in violent struggle that ended with her escaping the area. Carroll has consistently maintained that she does not consider herself a victim and characterizes the encounter as a “fight” rather than sexual assault.
The investigation centers on Carroll’s 2022 deposition statement in which she claimed no outside funding supported her legal cases against Trump. However, it was later revealed that far-left billionaire Reid Hoffman donated to Carroll’s legal fees through his nonprofit organization. Carroll’s attorneys informed the court two weeks before trial that they had secured funding from Hoffman.
Carroll has also admitted during interviews that her appearance during the trial was deliberately staged to appear more “fkable” — a strategy she described as part of ensuring her case would be effective. She has repeatedly stated that the encounter with Trump was not sexual and that labeling it rape would be disrespectful to women facing ongoing violence.
The DOJ’s probe follows Carroll’s federal court rulings in 2023 and 2024, which found Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation.
