The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s, CNN reported Wednesday, citing multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The investigation is focused on whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony linked to her civil lawsuits against Trump, The New York Times reported, citing a person with direct knowledge of the situation.
CNN was first to report of the investigation, which MS NOW has not independently verified. Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s lawyer, did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment.
A New York City jury previously awarded Carroll $5 million in damages after finding Trump liable for sexually abusing her in 1996 and for later defaming her after she publicly spoke about the abuse. A separate jury later ordered Trump to pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages in another defamation case in 2024.
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Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has reportedly recused himself from the Justice Department’s investigation, according to multiple outlets, including The Times and Reuters. Blanche previously represented Trump in legal appeals tied to Carroll’s lawsuits.
The verdicts in Carroll’s lawsuits have so far survived appeals from Trump’s legal team in the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros, whom Trump appointed in 2025 to lead the Northern District of Illinois, opened the federal investigation into Carroll, according to the Times.
Carla Herreria is an editor for MS NOW’s breaking news and liveblog team. She was previously a senior assignment editor at HuffPost.