Truthout is a vital news source and a living history of political struggle. If you think our work is valuable, support us with a donation of any size.
President Donald Trump appeared to be out for what one human rights advocate called “outrageous revenge” late Wednesday as it was reported that the Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into former magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, who won two civil judgments against the president after accusing him of sexual abuse and defamation.
CNN first reported that, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation, the DOJ is investigating whether Carroll committed perjury in her civil lawsuits against Trump.
The probe reportedly centers on a 2022 deposition Carroll gave in which she said she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. It was later revealed that Reid Hoffman, a co-founder of LinkedIn who has been critical of the president, paid some legal fees and expenses.
Before Carroll’s sexual abuse case went to trial in 2022, Trump’s lawyers told the court that the disclosure of Hoffman’s funding raised “significant questions” about Carroll’s credibility and accused her of trying to “conceal the truth.”
Carroll’s lawyers countered that the plaintiff had nothing to do with obtaining the outside funding and that Hoffman’s decision to provide financial support was irrelevant to Carroll’s accusation that Trump had sexually abused her in a New York City department store dressing room in the 1990s.
A jury awarded her a $5 million judgment in the case, and in 2024 Carroll won $83.3 million in damages in a separate civil case in which she accused Trump of repeatedly defaming her when he said she had filed her first case against him in an effort to sell books and was perpetrating a “hoax.”
A three-judge panel on the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit unanimously rejected Trump’s request for a new trial in the sexual abuse case, saying the president had “not demonstrated that the district court erred in any of the challenged rulings.”
An appeals court panel also upheld the $83.3 million defamation judgment, but this month Trump was permitted to delay his payment for now, as he has appealed to the US Supreme Court, asserting that he has “absolute immunity” for disparaging comments about Carroll that he made while he was president.
The right-wing majority on the Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that Trump has “absolute immunity” for “official acts” taken while he is in office.
The investigation into Carroll is being conducted by US Attorney Andrew Boutros in the Northern District of Illinois; a nonprofit associated with Hoffman is based in Chicago.
The probe appeared to be Trump’s latest effort to use the DOJ to enact revenge on his political enemies, a number of observers said late Wednesday.
“He’s using the power of the DOJ to go after his own victims,” said US Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). “It’s a vile attack on the rule of law and a disgusting insult to victims everywhere.”
Last month, acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel announced an indictment of former FBI chief James Comey, a longtime opponent of Trump. They accused him of “knowingly and willfully [making] a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon” the president; a year earlier, Comey had posted a photo on Instagram of seashells grouped together in a pattern, reading, “86 47.” The indictment garnered criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Federal prosecutors also indicted Comey as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James last year, in cases that were thrown out by a judge. James won a $450 million judgment against Trump, plus interest, in a civil fraud case against Trump and his business in 2022.
At the news of the investigation into Carroll, journalist Mehdi Hasan of Zeteo News wrote on social media, “Sheesh, it never ends with Trump and his revenge tour and actual weaponization of the DOJ.”
Elisa Batista, campaign director at the women’s rights group UltraViolet, said, “We believe E. Jean Carroll, just as a jury of her peers did.”
“Donald Trump has been caught bragging about assaulting women, and was found liable for sexual abuse,” said Batista. “The DOJ’s investigation is nothing more than another craven and corrupt attempt by Trump to silence survivors and his personal opponents.”
Important fundraising appeal: We have until midnight to raise $14,000
Thank you for reading Truthout today. We have a brief message before you go.
Unfortunately, donations are down for Truthout at a time when media faces immense pressure. Yet, grassroots media is vital in the fight against Trump’s authoritarian reign. Our mandate to tell the truth, share strategies for resistance, and speak against fascism grows more urgent each day. We must appeal for your support.
If you can support Truthout with a one-time or monthly donation, you will make a significant impact on our work. Please donate before time runs out!