The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the longtime magazine columnist who previously accused President Trump and secured substantial civil judgments against him. The probe focuses on whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony related to two lawsuits she filed against the former president.

Central to the inquiry is Carroll’s 2022 deposition statement, where she claimed no external party funded her legal battle. However, it later emerged that billionaire Democratic donor Reid Hoffman covered portions of her legal expenses.

Federal prosecutors are examining whether Carroll’s sworn testimony was false in a manner that constitutes criminal perjury. Senior Justice Department officials have referred the matter to federal prosecutors in Chicago due to Hoffman’s nonprofit operations there.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has recused himself from the case because he previously served as one of Trump’s personal attorneys during Carroll’s appeals. Additionally, Alina Habba, a legal representative at the time, argued that Carroll’s team concealed the funding issue.

Judge Lewis Kaplan allowed a subsequent deposition but excluded the Hoffman funding question from jury consideration. This means the dispute arose before trial, yet jurors never heard the full account.

The investigation does not indicate charges against Carroll, but it assesses whether her sworn statement crossed legal boundaries for criminal liability.

Carroll’s cases against Trump remain active on appeal. Her side won significant civil awards, including an $83 million defamation judgment and a $5 million verdict from a 2023 jury trial where Trump was found to have sexually abused her and later defamed her. Trump has repeatedly dismissed the claims as “politically driven hoaxes” and continues to challenge the judgments.

The U.S. Supreme Court currently holds the $83 million award in abeyance while reviewing the case, requiring Trump to post a $7.4 million bond for interest costs during the process.