The US Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into former magazine writer E. Jean Carroll, who accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in a department store 30 years ago, multiple news outlets reported Wednesday.

The probe is believed to focus on whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony tied to two civil lawsuits against Trump. One concerns her allegations that Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York City department store in the 1990s; the other is a defamation suit she filed in 2019.

In 2023, a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse but not for rape. Another jury in 2024 found Trump defamed Carroll during his first term by denying her claims and ordered him to pay $83 million in damages.

The investigation, reportedly led by the US Attorney's Office in Chicago, may not necessarily result in charges against Carroll.

Since last year, the Trump regime has used an array of government powers to launch criminal investigations into the president's perceived enemies.

Reuters reported that prosecutors' move is based on a 2022 deposition statement by the former Elle magazine columnist that she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. Her lawyers later revealed that Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, had paid some of her legal bills.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche recused himself from the Justice Department investigation because he worked as one of Trump's personal attorneys in Carroll's civil case.

Source: www.dw.com