The U .S. department of Justice has initiated a criminal inquiry into E Jean Carroll to determine if she lied under oath . The investigation centers on whether the 82-year-old writer committed perjury regarding the funding of her civil litigation against Donald Trump.

The 2022 deposition and the Reid Hoffman funding gap

The core of the criminal probe involves a 2022 deposition given by E Jean Carroll, in which she reportedly claimed she received no outside financial assistance for her legal battles. However, according to the report, it was later discovered that billionaire Reid Hoffman had provided funding for some of the writer's legal expenses and fees.

Federal prosecutors are now examining whether this discrepancy constitutes a deliberate attempt to mislead the court. Because perjury invoolves a knowing falsehood under oath, the Department of Justice is scrutinizing the timeline of when the funding from Reid Hoffman was provided relative to when E Jean Carroll made her statements in the 2022 deposition.

Why Andrew S Boutros opened the probe in Illinois

The investigation was launched by Andrew S Boutros, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. While the original civil suits took place in New York, the jurisdiction for this criminal inquiry falls to Illinois because Reid Hoffman operates a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, as reported.

By centering the probe in the Northern District of Illinois, the Department of Justice can investigate the financial flow from the Chicago-based nonprofit to the legal team representing E Jean Carroll. This move shifts the legal battlefield away from the New York courts where the civil judgments were originally handed down.

Todd Blanche's recusal from the Carroll inquiry

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has reportedly recused himself from the investigation into E Jean Carroll. This recusal is a direct result of Mr. Blanche's previous professional relationship with Donald Trump, whom he represented as legal counsel during the Carroll proceedings.

The recusal is intended to avoid a conflict of interest, as Todd Blanche was intimately involved in the defense against the very claims that led to the civil judgments. This leaves the oversight of the probe to other officials within the Department of Justice while Andrew S Boutros leads the operational side of the inquiry.

The $83 million defamation win and the Supreme Court appeal

This criminal investigation arrives as a counter-pressure to the significant civil victories E Jean Carroll secured against Donald Trump. A federal jury in New York previously found Donald Trump liable for the sexual assault of E Jean Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room during the 1990s, resulting in a $5 million judgment in May 2023.

Furthermore, E Jean Carroll won a separate $83 million judgment after the jury determined that Donald Trump defamed her by calling her allegations a "hoax" and a "lie" on social media. Donald Trump has since sought to have the Supreme Court overturn these rulings, signaling a prolonged legal struggle over the validity of the original claims.

The specifics of Hoffman's nonprofit payments

Despite the launch of the probe , several critical details remain unverified. the report does not specify the exact amount of money Reid Hoffman provided to E Jean Carroll, nor does it clarify if the funds were paid directly to the writer or to her legal representatives.

It remains unclear whether the Department of Justice posssesses internal communications that prove E Jean Carroll knowingly lied, or if the investigation is currently in a fact-finding stage. Additionally, there has been no public statement from Reid Hoffman or the Chicago-based nonprofit regarding the nature of the financial support provided.