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In a recent development, the leading federal prosecutor in Chicago firmly dismissed claims that his office had launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll. Carroll is the writer who accused former President Donald Trump of sexual assault and successfully obtained millions in damages through her lawsuits against him.
Initial reports from CNN on Wednesday evening suggested the Department of Justice was looking into whether Carroll committed perjury during her testimony related to the civil cases against Trump.
Andrew Boutros, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, addressed these reports with a clear statement refuting them.
“Given the extensive media coverage and public interest regarding the E. Jean Carroll case in New York, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office wants to clarify that it has not initiated—and has never initiated—a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll,” Boutros declared on the social media platform X. “Any assertions otherwise are entirely untrue.”
The alleged investigation reportedly centered on Carroll’s deposition to former Trump attorney Alina Habba in 2022, where she stated she did not receive external funding for her lawsuit. Subsequently, Carroll’s legal team disclosed that Reid Hoffman, the billionaire LinkedIn co-founder, had contributed through his nonprofit to cover some of her legal expenses.
Carroll, an author and columnist, successfully sued Trump for sexual assault and defamation, and two juries awarded her a total of $88.3 million in damages.
Trump has denied the allegations and appealed, and a federal appeals court later allowed the president to hold off on making payments until the Supreme Court decides whether it will get involved.
Reports of the investigation into Carroll drew backlash from Trump critics. The hosts of ABC’s “The View” on Thursday ripped into Trump and the Justice Department.
“Why is the administration spending time trying to relitigate this case that was already decided by two juries? What the hell?” said co-host Whoopi Goldberg.
Trump’s former communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin, who is now a co-host on the show, said the probe would backfire from a public relations standpoint.
“I think he just wants his vengeance, but he’s putting something that’s horrible for him back in the headlines,” she said on the show.
It also threatened to further inflame tensions between the Trump administration and Senate Republicans, who will likely be forced to defend the controversial probe next month.
Democrats are allowed to offer unlimited amendment votes as part of a so-called vote-a-rama on the GOP budget reconciliation bill. Former Senate GOP aides say Democrats could force Republicans to vote on amendments to express disapproval of the DOJ’s prosecution of Carroll and other Trump administration enemies.