By — Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press By — Eric Tucker, Associated Press Eric Tucker, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ap-report-justice-department-opens-investigation-into-e-jean-carroll-who-successfully-sued-trump-for-sexual-abuse-and-defamation Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter AP report: Justice Department opens investigation into E. Jean Carroll, who successfully sued Trump for sexual abuse and defamation Politics May 28, 2026 9:19 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll, the longtime advice columnist who has said Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store 30 years ago, lied during the course of civil litigation against the Republican president, according to a person familiar with the matter. READ MORE: Appeals court says Trump doesn't have to pay $83 million to E. Jean Carroll — for now The person who confirmed the existence of the investigation was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing inquiry and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The perjury investigation is being led by the federal prosecutors' office in Chicago, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has had no involvement because of his prior work as Trump's personal attorney, the person said. Lawyers for Carroll did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Thursday. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. It's the latest in a series of investigations the Trump administration Justice Department has opened into perceived adversaries of the president. READ MORE: Every time Trump denies he sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll, he runs the risk she'll sue again The Carroll investigation was first reported by CNN. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press By — Eric Tucker, Associated Press Eric Tucker, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether E. Jean Carroll, the longtime advice columnist who has said Donald Trump sexually assaulted her in a Manhattan department store 30 years ago, lied during the course of civil litigation against the Republican president, according to a person familiar with the matter. READ MORE: Appeals court says Trump doesn't have to pay $83 million to E. Jean Carroll — for now The person who confirmed the existence of the investigation was not authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing inquiry and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The perjury investigation is being led by the federal prosecutors' office in Chicago, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has had no involvement because of his prior work as Trump's personal attorney, the person said. Lawyers for Carroll did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press on Thursday. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe Form error message goes here. Thank you. Please check your inbox to confirm. It's the latest in a series of investigations the Trump administration Justice Department has opened into perceived adversaries of the president. READ MORE: Every time Trump denies he sexually assaulted E. Jean Carroll, he runs the risk she'll sue again The Carroll investigation was first reported by CNN. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now