WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors have launched a perjury probe targeting E. Jean Carroll, the advice columnist who alleges Donald Trump sexually assaulted her at a Manhattan department store three decades ago, a source with knowledge of the matter revealed.
The source, who was not permitted to speak publicly about the active investigation, disclosed the inquiry on condition of anonymity. Chicago-based federal prosecutors are spearheading the perjury probe, while acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has recused himself due to his previous role as Trump’s personal attorney, the source explained.
Carroll’s legal team did not respond immediately to Associated Press requests for comment Thursday.
This marks another in a string of probes launched by the Trump administration Justice Department targeting individuals viewed as presidential opponents. These moves, which include last month’s indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, have sparked concern among Democrats and former officials who worry about the politicization of an agency designed to operate independently from White House influence.
According to Carroll’s account, what began as a playful, accidental meeting with Trump in 1996 at Bergdorf Goodman’s Fifth Avenue location turned violent. She alleges Trump pushed her against a dressing room wall, yanked down her tights and sexually assaulted her. Trump has dismissed these claims as a “made-up scam.”
In 2023, a jury determined Trump was liable for sexually abusing Carroll in 1996, ordering him to pay $5 million in damages. A separate jury the next year awarded Carroll $83.3 million in a defamation lawsuit stemming from Trump’s social media posts attacking her.
A recent court filing indicated Trump can postpone payment of the award pending U.S. Supreme Court review or rejection of his appeal. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted Trump’s legal team’s request to delay payment to Carroll, though it mandated he post a $7.4 million bond to cover potential additional interest costs, as Carroll’s attorney had requested.
CNN initially reported on the Carroll investigation.
