Criminal investigation into the writer sexually assaulted by Trump

It is reported that the Trump administration has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, a writer who accused American President Donald Trump of sexual assault.

Government attorneys are focusing on whether she gave false testimony in a sworn statement during a civil trial against Trump in 2022. Specifically, her statement that she did not receive external financial assistance for her legal proceedings has formed the basis of this investigation.

However, about six months after that statement, and before the trial began, Carroll's lawyers informed the judge and Trump's lawyers that a non-profit organization funded by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman had paid a portion of Carroll's legal fees and expenses. Although Trump's lawyers argued that this damaged her credibility, Carroll's lawyers stated that she had not met or spoken to anyone from the organization. The judge had previously granted permission to Trump's lawyer, Alina Habba, to question Carroll a second time regarding this matter.

In 2024, a three-judge panel of the Federal Court of Appeals in New York dismissed the accusation that Carroll had lied in her testimony. E. Jean Carroll first alleged in her 2019 book that Trump had assaulted her in a dressing room of a New York department store. Although Trump denied these allegations, in the civil lawsuit she filed, a jury found Trump liable and ordered him to pay $5 million in damages, and later another jury ordered an additional $83 million. Trump has currently appealed both of these verdicts.

This new criminal investigation is considered the latest in a series of probes launched by Trump's Justice Department against political opponents. Previously, federal investigations were also launched against former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, as well as Democratic Congress members Adam Schiff and Ilhan Omar. Meanwhile, CNN and New York Times have reported that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has recused himself from this Justice Department investigation because he previously represented Trump in Carroll's civil case. The Justice Department and Carroll's legal representatives have not responded to requests for comment on this matter.