DEST:LIT - Newsy Today

The top federal prosecutor in Chicago has issued a formal denial regarding reports that his office is conducting a criminal investigation into writer E. Jean Carroll. U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros stated definitively on Thursday that his office has never opened such an inquiry, directly contradicting reports that surfaced earlier in the week.

Conflicting Reports on Legal Scrutiny

The confusion stemmed from reports suggesting the Justice Department had initiated a probe into whether Carroll committed perjury during her testimony in two high-profile civil lawsuits against President Donald Trump. These lawsuits, which concluded in 2023 and 2024, resulted in findings that Trump sexually abused and defamed the former Elle magazine columnist.

The reported focus of the alleged investigation was a 2022 deposition in which Carroll stated she received no outside funding for her litigation. It was later revealed that LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman had covered some of her legal expenses.

Did You Know? In 2024, an appeals court determined that Carroll’s claim regarding outside funding was plausible, noting she may have simply forgotten about the limited financial support obtained in 2020 when she was questioned two years later.

The Context of Ongoing Legal Battles

The legal friction between Carroll and the President remains active, with the two still engaged in ongoing court disputes. While juries have previously ordered the President to pay $83.3 million in damages for defamation, he has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

“This is not a legitimate perjury case”: Fmr. Prosecutor on E. Jean Carroll Investigation

The current climate at the Justice Department has faced scrutiny, as the department has pursued several investigations into the President’s antagonists since last year. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who previously served as a personal attorney for the President during the Carroll appeals, has been recused from this specific matter.

Expert Insight: The distinction between an initiated criminal probe and the denial from the U.S. Attorney’s Office highlights the high stakes of these ongoing legal battles. In cases involving high-profile figures and allegations of perjury, the threshold for launching a federal investigation is significant, and official denials serve as a crucial check on speculative reports that could otherwise influence public perception of the judicial process.

Potential Implications

While the U.S. Attorney has denied the existence of a criminal investigation, the nature of such probes means that even if one were to be formally launched in the future, it would not necessarily result in criminal charges. The outcome of any such legal maneuvering would depend on the ability of prosecutors to prove intentional deception, a high bar given the previous findings by the appeals court regarding the timeline of Carroll’s financial disclosures.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the alleged basis for a perjury investigation?
The investigation was reportedly centered on a 2022 deposition statement where Carroll claimed she received no outside funding for her lawsuits, despite later revelations that Reid Hoffman had paid some of her legal bills.

What did the appeals court say about Carroll’s testimony?
The court found that Carroll plausibly represented that she had forgotten about the limited outside funding when she was questioned in 2022, and that additional discovery did not contradict her account.

Is Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche involved in this matter?
No, he has been recused from the department’s investigation because he previously worked as one of the President’s personal attorneys on the Carroll appeals.

How do you view the balance between aggressive legal oversight and the protection of civil litigants?