The Justice Department has opened an investigation into writer E. Jean Carroll, examining whether she made false statements under oath during civil litigation that resulted in two major courtroom defeats for President Donald Trump.

Federal prosecutors are reviewing Carroll’s testimony regarding who financed her legal efforts against Trump.

The inquiry focuses on a 2022 deposition in which Carroll said no one was paying her legal fees. Court filings later revealed that some litigation-related expenses were supported by organizations connected to billionaire entrepreneur and Democratic donor Reid Hoffman.

The investigation marks the latest development in a legal battle that has stretched for years and produced two jury verdicts in Carroll’s favor.

In 2023, a federal jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages.

A separate jury later ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million for defaming Carroll after she publicly accused him of assaulting her in a Manhattan department store dressing room in the mid-1990s.

Trump has consistently denied the allegations. During a 2023 CNN town hall, he criticized the verdict and repeated his claim that Carroll’s accusations were fabricated.

“I have no idea who this woman is,” Trump said.

The current federal inquiry centers on Carroll’s statements about legal funding rather than the underlying sexual abuse allegations. Court records show that Carroll’s attorneys later informed Trump’s legal team that she had come to recall outside financial assistance for her legal expenses.

That revelation became a point of contention during post-trial proceedings. Trump attorney Alina Habba accused Carroll’s legal team of concealing information from the defense.

“They conspired to conceal the truth for nearly six months,” Habba said during court proceedings challenging Carroll’s credibility.

Judges overseeing the litigation ultimately determined that questions about funding did not affect the substance of Carroll’s claims against Trump. However, they allowed limited discovery related to the issue because it could potentially bear on witness credibility.

The probe is reportedly being handled by prosecutors in Chicago. Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who represented Trump in matters related to Carroll before joining the administration, has recused himself from the investigation because of that prior involvement.

Carroll’s attorneys have declined public comment on the investigation.

Hoffman, who has publicly acknowledged supporting Carroll’s legal efforts, pushed back against suggestions that the funding arrangement was improper. In a statement posted on social media, Hoffman described the allegations as “absurdly false.”

Federal authorities have not announced any criminal charges, and investigators have not publicly detailed the scope of their inquiry.