E. Jean Carroll is not under criminal investigation by the Justice Department, federal prosecutors in Chicago confirmed Thursday, May 28.
Initial reports claimed the DOJ had opened a case targeting the writer who won two civil lawsuits against President Donald Trump.
Those stories spread quickly across major news outlets before CBS News reported a key correction.
The actual focus is a nonprofit tied to billionaire Reid Hoffman. The group helped pay some of Carroll’s legal bills in her cases against Trump.
DOJ Clarifies E. Jean Carroll Is Not Under Investigation
U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros in Chicago cleared the air by saying that Carroll herself faces no charges or direct probe.
“The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office can confirm that it has not opened, and has never opened, a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll,” he said in a statement. “Any claim to the contrary is categorically false.”
The flap began on Wednesday, May 27, when sources told reporters that federal prosecutors were investigating whether Carroll lied under oath about who funded her lawsuits.
In a 2022 deposition, Carroll said no outside money supported her case. Later court filings showed otherwise.
Hoffman, the LinkedIn co-founder and a vocal Trump critic, backed the nonprofit American Future Republic.
The Chicago-based group covered certain legal costs and fees for Carroll’s lawyers. Court records from 2023 showed the organization paid millions in connection with her legal fight.
Carroll’s attorneys have said she had no personal knowledge of the funding’s setup or details at the time of her deposition.
Also Read: DOJ Investigates E. Jean Carroll Over Claims She Lied About Funding Behind Trump Lawsuits
A federal judge previously ruled the funding issue had no bearing on the trials. Jurors never heard about it.
Two Cases against Trump Draw Massive Attention
In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room encounter from the 1990s. Carroll won about $5 million.
A second jury in 2024 awarded her another $83 million for further defamation. Trump has denied the allegations and continues to appeal.
The nonprofit probe centers on how American Future Republic spent its money. Sources say the review is in the early stages. No charges have been filed against anyone.
Jennifer Jacobs, a CBS News White House reporter, reported that Carroll’s testimony is being reviewed only in the context of the nonprofit’s major review.
Reid Hoffman has poured money into Democratic causes for years. He has been open about his opposition to Trump.
Trump supporters quickly called the funding an example of wealthy donors backing “lawfare” against him.
Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, did not immediately comment on the latest developments.
The development comes as Trump pushes back against multiple legal setbacks from his time out of office.
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His team has long argued that wealthy opponents used courts and funding networks to target him politically.
For her part, Carroll has described herself as an ordinary writer thrust into the spotlight. Now 82, she built a career at magazines such as Elle, where she advised readers.
Her book “What Do We Need Men For?” included the Trump allegation that eventually led to the lawsuits.
American Future Republic lists goals of promoting community welfare. Tax records show it funneled money to various progressive efforts.
Its connection to Carroll’s case became public in spring 2023, when Trump’s lawyers sought more information.
Federal investigators in Chicago are now examining the group’s major spending.
The E. Jean Carroll-related payments form part of that picture, but the writer is not the subject.
This is not the first time funding sources in high-profile cases against Trump have drawn scrutiny.
Similar questions have come up in other matters involving Democratic donors.
