The top federal prosecutor in Chicago, Andrew Boutros, denied reports of an investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the advice columnist who has accused former President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in a New York department store 30 years ago. This denial came after multiple news organizations initially reported that the Justice Department had opened an inquiry into possible perjury allegations against Carroll.
The Associated Press and other outlets cited anonymous sources suggesting that the focus of the investigation was on Carroll herself. However, Boutros issued a statement stating that his office "has not opened — and has never opened — a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll." Furthermore, it was clarified that the investigation was actually centered on a nonprofit organization that had assisted in funding Carroll's legal case against Trump.
The investigation's existence was first reported by CNN, leading to concerns among Democrats and former officials that the Justice Department, typically expected to operate independently, might be used as a tool against Trump's political adversaries. Throughout his presidency, Trump's Justice Department undertook several investigations targeting perceived enemies, including the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.
Carroll's allegations stem from a claimed incident in 1996 at Bergdorf Goodman’s Fifth Avenue store, where she asserts that Trump violently assaulted her. Trump has repeatedly dismissed these claims as a "made-up scam," suggesting that Carroll's motivations were politically motivated or intended to promote her memoir.
In a landmark 2023 trial, a jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her, awarding her $5 million in damages. Following this, in 2024, Carroll won another jury award of $83.3 million in a defamation case stemming from Trump's social media statements about her.
The Justice Department's scrutiny reportedly focused on a statement made by Carroll in civil court, in which she claimed that no one else was financing her legal fees. It later became known that a Chicago-based organization, backed by Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, had assisted in funding Carroll's legal battle. Trump’s legal team accused Carroll of concealing this information, suggesting that it raised questions about her credibility and the motives behind her lawsuits.
Multiple outlets, including The Washington Post and NBC News, highlighted that the actual investigation was centered on Hoffman's nonprofit. This clarification aligns with previous claims made by Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, who argued that the funding revelations could question Carroll’s credibility and the political motivations driving her legal actions.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the $5 million jury award against Trump in December 2024, addressing claims regarding Carroll's credibility after Trump accused her of misrepresenting the funding of her legal costs. The court noted Carroll’s explanation that she had simply forgotten about the limited outside financial assistance when questioned about it in 2022.
Hoffman has publicly defended his financial support, stating that advocating for women's justice in various sectors has long been a priority for him, as has opposing Trump. Recently, a court ruling indicated that Trump would not need to pay the awarded damages until the U.S. Supreme Court reviews the case, allowing him to delay the payment while posting a $7.4 million bond to cover interest costs as requested by Carroll’s attorney.
