The U.S. Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the 82-year-old former magazine writer who accused former President Donald J. Trump of sexual assault, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation.
The investigation was confirmed by a source who spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe is ongoing. The exact nature of the inquiry remains unclear, but it appears to focus on Carroll's allegations and related statements.
Carroll has accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s. Trump has denied the allegations. In 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll $5 million in damages. A separate defamation case resulted in an $83.3 million judgment against Trump.
The Justice Department declined to comment on the investigation. Carroll's attorney, Roberta Kaplan, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
