Overview
- The Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation reported Thursday into whether E. Jean Carroll made false statements under oath in civil lawsuits she brought against President Donald Trump.
- Reporting says the inquiry focuses on a 2022 affidavit in which Carroll said she had no outside funding while later disclosures showed tech billionaire Reid Hoffman paid some of her legal expenses.
- Sources name Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney in Illinois appointed during the Trump administration, as having initiated the probe and media outlets cite unnamed officials for that detail.
- Attorney General Todd Blanche has reportedly recused himself from the matter because of prior work for Trump, a step that highlights ethical questions about who oversees the investigation.
- The inquiry renews debate over DOJ priorities and could have broader effects on civil plaintiffs and high-profile critics of the president given past New York jury awards to Carroll and limits on criminal prosecution for the original assault allegations.