Justice Department opens criminal probe into E. Jean Carroll

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll committed perjury in testimony during her lawsuits tied to sexual abuse allegations against President Donald Trump, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Carroll, a former magazine writer, accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store in the mid-1990s. She was awarded $5 million in damages in 2023 by a jury that found Trump liable for sexually abusing her. The following year, Carroll won an $83 million civil judgment in a defamation case.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said he didn’t even know Carroll. The president is seeking Supreme Court intervention in both cases. The White House referred questions about the probe to the DOJ.

Carroll’s legal team did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday morning.

CNN first reported on the investigation into Carroll.

The DOJ probe is the latest move by the Trump administration to target the president’s perceived political foes, including multiple attempts by the DOJ to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.