After James Comey, DOJ Now Launched Investigation into E.Jean Carroll

E. Jean Carroll, the magazine columnist who had accused President Donald Trump of s—-- assault, is now reportedly under criminal investigation by the government. The Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched a probe into Carroll for allegedly committing perjury by lying in a deposition before her 2023 trial against Trump.

While the Trump administration has not officially announced the probe, sources quoted by CNN have confirmed the development. Carroll, 82, first accused Trump in 2019 and went on to file two civil lawsuits against him.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche is reportedly not part of the investigation, as he previously served as Trump’s personal attorney in Carroll’s lawsuits. Other senior officials in his office are overseeing the probe. According to sources, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Andrew Boutros, is leading the investigation.

Carroll first opened up about the alleged abuse in her 2019 book What Do We Need Men For?: A Modest Proposal. At the time, she claimed Trump had s—---- assaulted her in a New York department store’s dressing room in the 1990s. After Trump denied the allegations, Carroll sued him for defamation and s—-- assault.

In 2022, she filed another suit under New York's Adult Survivors Act and included a battery charge against Trump. The following year, a jury ruled in favor of Carroll and found that she had been abused. The Elle magazine columnist was awarded $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages.

Then, in January 2024, a second jury awarded Carroll an additional $83.3 million in damages for defamation, citing that Trump had continued to attack her publicly. The President has appealed both judgments.

The DOJ is now investigating whether Carroll committed perjury during her civil lawsuit trials. In 2022, she stated during a deposition that she did not receive any outside financial support for her lawsuit. However, as the trial was set to begin, her lawyers disclosed that billionaire Reid Hoffman would cover part of her legal fees.

The judge eventually ordered a second deposition for Carroll. The author is also among several of Trump’s personal enemies who have faced investigations since he began his second term. In September 2025, former FBI Director and vocal Trump critic James Comey was indicted on charges of making false statements and obstructing a congressional investigation.

Comey pleaded not guilty to the charge, and a federal judge later dismissed the case. Similarly, in October 2025, New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia, on one count of bank fraud and one count of making a false statement to a lending institution.

James had earlier brought a civil fraud case against Trump and his family's real estate company. She denied the allegations against her, and once again, the case was dismissed. Additionally, in April 2026, the DOJ issued subpoenas to former government and intelligence officials from the Obama era to investigate potential Russian interference in the 2016 elections.