DOJ Examines Whether Billionaire Funded E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit Via Nonprofit

The Justice Department has denied opening a criminal investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll committed perjury when she stated in a 2022 deposition that she received no outside funding for her civil lawsuits against President Trump.

According to a statement from the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office, “In light of widespread reporting and intense media and public interest in the E. Jean Carroll matter in New York, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office can confirm that it has not opened—and has never opened—a criminal investigation into E.

Jean Carroll. ” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has taken no part in the matter because of his prior representation of President Trump.

Carroll accused President Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store dressing room in 1996. A 2023 jury found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded her $5 million. A second jury in 2024 awarded her an additional $83.3 million in a separate defamation case. Trump has repeatedly denied the allegations.

An appeals court previously found that Carroll had “plausibly represented” she had forgotten about the limited outside funding. The court concluded she was not directly involved in decisions about who paid the litigation costs. A Chicago-based nonprofit backed by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, contributed to the costs after Carroll had already filed suit.

Hoffman has said his organization decided to support the case to ensure her voice could be heard.

One report indicated the inquiry may now target the nonprofit rather than Carroll herself. The Justice Department actions come after it secured an indictment last month against former FBI Director James Comey in a separate matter.