On an unknown date, the Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated a criminal investigation against E. Jean Carroll.
The investigation pertains to whether or not she committed perjury when providing testimony against Trump in two lawsuits regarding his alleged sexual assault against her in the 1990s, with the other lawsuit being brought forward when Trump defamed her in 2019. The DOJ prosecutors claim that their smoking gun is Carroll’s statement that she had received no outside funding for the lawsuit, though it was revealed that Reid Hoffman, a billionaire, covered some expenses via a nonprofit. However, on its face, this argument has little credibility because it was already tried in court. As Carroll had no contact with Hoffman’s nonprofit which helped her legal team, Judge Lewis Kaplan found that she was telling the truth.
Carroll won both of these lawsuits. It is likely that she remains a personal target for Trump, who has now weaponized the DOJ against her, despite claiming to oppose politicized and personalized DOJ actions.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has been recused from this investigation, as he was a personal lawyer for Trump who fought against Carroll in the appeals process.
