The Justice Department is investigating whether E. Jean Carroll, an 82-year-old former magazine writer who accused President Donald Trump of sexual assault, committed perjury in civil lawsuits against the president.
Carroll accused Trump in a civil case of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in 1996 and later defaming her by dismissing her claims as a “hoax.” A jury sided with Carroll in 2023, awarding her $5 million.
Carroll was also awarded an $83 million judgment in another defamation case related to the sexual assault allegation.
A source told the New York Times that Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, opened the inquiry and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recused himself because he helped represent Trump in the Carroll case.
The inquiry is related to Carroll’s 2022 deposition, in which she reportedly claimed that she received no outside funding for her lawsuit, but it was later revealed that billionaire Reid Hoffman paid some legal fees and expenses, per CNN.