The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has launched a criminal investigation into author E Jean Carroll, who accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s, US media reported on Wednesday.
According to broadcasters ABC and CNN, the DoJ's investigation is looking into whether Carroll, a long-time women's advice columnist, committed perjury in testimony tied to her two civil lawsuits against the now president.
CNN cited sources as saying that the probe centres on a deposition by Carroll in which she stated that she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. It later emerged, however, that billionaire Reid Hoffman had covered some of the costs.
According to CNN, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has been recused from the investigation because he worked as one of Trump's personal lawyers on the Carroll appeals.
In 2023, a New York jury deemed it proven that Trump had attacked, sexually abused and later defamed Carroll in a prestigious New York department store in 1996. Trump was ordered to pay compensation totalling $5 million. Trump has consistently denied the assault and is appealing to the Supreme Court.
While the statute of limitations had expired for criminal charges, civil proceedings remained open.
In January 2024, in a second defamation trial, a jury awarded Carroll a compensation payment of over $83 million for statements Trump made about her during his first term as US president (2017-21). Trump has also appealed against this ruling.
