DOJ reportedly investigating columnist who accused Trump of sexual assault

The Department of Justice has reportedly launched an investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused President Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her roughly 30 years ago. The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois will investigate whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony during her lawsuits against Trump, according to sources who leaked the DOJ investigation to several media outlets. WORLD reached out to the DOJ and the Illinois office for comment but did not hear back prior to publication. This story will be updated with any responses received. The story was first reported by CNN.

A jury awarded Carroll $5 million in 2023 after finding Trump liable for sexually abusing her in the mid-1990s. The president has repeatedly denied Carroll’s allegations. The following year, a Manhattan federal court awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages for defamatory statements by Trump. Sources told CBS News that the DOJ was specifically investigating Carroll for lying in a 2022 deposition about the funding she received for her lawsuit against Trump. WORLD also reached out to Carroll’s attorney for comment. This story will be updated with any response received.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s report on an appeals court that let Trump delay paying the $83.3 million defamation judgement.