MAY 28, 2026
Justice Department opens criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll over alleged false statements in civil litigation against Trump
The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the advice columnist who accused President Trump of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store approximately 30 years ago, according to sources familiar with the matter. The inquiry focuses on whether Carroll made false statements during the course of her civil litigation against Trump. The perjury investigation is being led by federal prosecutors in Chicago; acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has been recused due to his prior work as Trump's personal attorney.
The Justice Department's criminal investigation centers on a statement Carroll made during the civil litigation asserting that no one else was paying her legal fees. It later became public that a Chicago-based organization backed by Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, had helped fund Carroll's case. Trump's lawyers in the civil case argued that Carroll had concealed that information, which they said raised questions about whether the case was politically motivated.
Carroll has said that a flirtatious, chance encounter with Trump in 1996 ended in assault — that Trump pushed her against a dressing room wall at Bergdorf Goodman's Fifth Avenue store, pulled down her tights and forced himself on her. Trump has called the allegations a "made-up scam." A jury in 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and awarded her $5 million. A second jury in 2024 awarded Carroll $83.3 million in a defamation case stemming from Trump's social media attacks on her.
A federal appeals court earlier this year upheld the $83.3 million jury award. Trump will not be required to pay the award immediately; a court entry earlier this month indicated the payment will be delayed until the U.S. Supreme Court has an opportunity to review the case or decline an appeal. The Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allowed the delay on the condition that Trump post a $7.4 million bond to cover potential additional interest costs. Lawyers for Carroll did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press.