Justice Department opens criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll over possible perjury tied to Trump civil cases
The Facts
- The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll over possible perjury connected to her civil litigation against Donald Trump.
- Multiple reports say the inquiry is examining Carroll's testimony in connection with the two civil lawsuits she brought against Trump.
- The reported basis for the perjury inquiry is a 2022 deposition in which Carroll said she had not received outside funding for her lawsuit, after which legal filings disclosed that some legal fees and expenses were paid with support linked to Reid Hoffman.
- Carroll accused Trump of sexual assault and defamation in two civil cases, and juries found Trump liable in those cases.
- In those civil cases, Carroll was awarded $5 million in one judgment and $83.3 million in another.
- The investigation has been reported as being led out of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
- The investigation does not necessarily mean Carroll will be charged, leaving the legal outcome unresolved.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- Sworn testimony in high-stakes civil litigation is treated by both framings as consequential in its own right, with the reported inquiry turning on whether statements tied to Carroll’s lawsuits were accurate even as any criminal outcome remains unresolved.
- They split on
- Whether the story is about a perjury inquiry risking confidence in civil verdicts that already found liability, or about enforcing accuracy in sworn testimony regardless of who won the underlying cases.
Context
What is the reported perjury issue?
Reports say investigators are looking at whether Carroll's 2022 deposition testimony was false when she said she had not received outside funding for her lawsuits. Later filings disclosed that some legal fees and expenses were paid with support linked to Reid Hoffman BBC,Guardian,CBS News.
What were Carroll's civil cases against Trump about?
Carroll brought two civil cases against Trump: one tied to her accusation that he sexually assaulted her, and another over statements in which he denied her claims and attacked her credibility. Juries found Trump liable, and Carroll won damages in both cases Aol,BBC,CBS News.
What is still unresolved?
It is not yet clear whether the Justice Department's investigation will result in criminal charges against Carroll. Separately, Trump has continued trying to overturn at least one of the civil judgments, including by asking the Supreme Court to review the $5 million case NYT,BBC,El Español.
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