The Department of Justice has initiated a criminal inquiry into whether author E. Jean Carroll gave false testimony during her civil lawsuits against President Donald Trump. According to individuals familiar with the situation, federal prosecutors are examining whether the 82-year-old writer committed perjury regarding the financial backing of her legal team. The investigation is being directed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, based in Chicago. Because acting Attorney General Todd Blanche previously represented Trump as his personal lawyer during Carroll’s appellate proceedings, he has recused himself from the matter.
The focus of the inquiry traces back to an October 2022 deposition. During that session, Trump’s prior defense counsel, Alina Habba, asked, “Is anyone else paying your legal fees, Ms. Carroll?” to which Carroll replied, “No.” It subsequently came to light that a nonprofit group funded by billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman had provided financial assistance for her lawsuits. Following this disclosure, Habba argued in court filings that Carroll “apparently perjured herself during her deposition; her counsel sat by and allowed her to do so, knowing full well that her testimony was false; and then they conspired to conceal the truth for nearly six months, only to disclose it on the eve of trial.”
Carroll’s legal representation, led by Roberta Kaplan, has strongly disputed any allegations of intentional deception. Kaplan previously explained to the court that “Carroll recollected additional information” after the deposition took place. In a 2023 legal filing, Kaplan noted, “We promptly disclosed to Trump’s counsel that, while Carroll stands by her testimony about this being a contingency fee case, she now recalls that her counsel at some point secured additional funding from a nonprofit organization to cover certain expenses and fees,” Furthermore, a federal appeals court previously upheld Carroll’s credibility on the matter, concluding that “Carroll plausibly represented that she had forgotten about the limited outside funding counsel obtained in September 2020 when this question was first posed to her in 2022.”
This ongoing criminal probe develops alongside the unresolved multi-million dollar judgments from the original civil trials. In 2023, a Manhattan jury held Trump liable for defamation and sexual abuse, awarding Carroll $5 million. In a separate 2024 trial regarding subsequent public remarks made by Trump, an additional jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million. While Trump has continued to maintain his innocence, calling the allegations a “made-up scam,” his legal team recently obtained a stay of execution on the payments. A federal appeals court ruled earlier this month that Trump may defer paying the damages while the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether it will review his appeals.
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