The Justice Department is pushing back against reports that federal prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who successfully sued President Donald Trump for sexual abuse and defamation.
On Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois issued a rare public statement denying claims that Carroll was under investigation for perjury. The denial came after multiple media outlets reported that federal authorities had begun examining whether Carroll made false statements during sworn testimony connected to her civil lawsuits against Trump.
According to those reports, the alleged inquiry centered on a 2022 deposition in which Carroll reportedly stated that she had not received outside financial support for her legal battle against Trump. Questions later emerged when it became public that billionaire entrepreneur and Democratic donor Reid Hoffman had helped cover certain legal fees and related expenses through organizations associated with him.
The reports quickly gained national attention, fueling speculation that the Justice Department was scrutinizing Carroll’s testimony. However, Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, categorically rejected those claims.
“In light of widespread reporting and intense media and public interest in the E. Jean Carroll matter in New York, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office can confirm that it has not opened—and has never opened—a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll,” Boutros said in a statement. “Any claim to the contrary is categorically false.”
The statement appeared aimed at ending growing speculation surrounding the alleged probe, which had circulated widely across both traditional and social media.
The New York Times, one of the outlets that initially reported on the purported investigation, later acknowledged Boutros’ denial. The newspaper subsequently reported that sources familiar with the matter now say the focus of any federal inquiry is not Carroll herself but rather American Future Republic, a nonprofit organization connected to Hoffman that reportedly helped fund some of her legal expenses.
CNN also reported on the alleged investigation and the subsequent clarification regarding its possible focus.
Carroll’s legal battles with Trump have become one of the most closely watched civil cases involving the president. She accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a dressing room at a Manhattan department store in the mid-1990s. Trump consistently denied the allegation and repeatedly characterized Carroll’s claims as fabricated.
In 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and for defaming her after she publicly accused him. The jury awarded Carroll $5 million in damages.
A separate defamation case resulted in an even larger judgment. In early 2024, another jury awarded Carroll approximately $83 million after determining that Trump continued making defamatory statements about her despite the earlier verdict.
The cases represented significant legal setbacks for Trump and generated extensive political and media attention. They also elevated Carroll into the center of a broader national debate over accountability, sexual misconduct allegations and the limits of political rhetoric.
For now, the Justice Department’s statement appears to settle one key question: federal prosecutors in Chicago are not investigating Carroll for perjury. Whether any ongoing inquiry involving organizations connected to the funding of her lawsuits will produce further developments remains unclear.
