• The US Justice Department is investigating E. Jean Carroll for potential perjury linked to her civil lawsuits against Donald Trump.
• Carroll's perjury allegation focuses on her statements regarding legal funding during depositions.
• Several investigations by the Trump-era Justice Department targeting political adversaries have raised concerns about accountability.
• A jury previously found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and defaming her, awarding her substantial damages.
• The Chicago US Attorney's Office has reviewed the request for investigation but denies any formal inquiry into Carroll.

The US Justice Department (DOJ) has initiated a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused former President Donald Trump of sexual assault in the mid-1990s. The probe is focused on whether Carroll committed perjury during her testimony connected to two civil lawsuits in which she successfully accused Trump of sexual abuse and defamation. Reports indicate that the investigation is being conducted by the US Attorney's Office in Chicago, although some sources claim Carroll is not the primary target, with attention on funding received for her legal cases, according to SCMP, BBC, and LA Times.

The DOJ's investigation centers on a statement Carroll made during a 2022 deposition when she claimed she received no external funding to support her lawsuits. The inquiry arose after it was revealed that Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, had funded a portion of her legal expenses, suggesting possible perjury based on her earlier statement. However, appeals courts have previously stated that Carroll "plausibly represented" having forgotten about this funding at the time of her deposition, as pointed out by CBS News, Vox, and Reuters.