WorldThe top federal prosecutor in Chicago denied on Thursday that his ‌office has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s.Jury in 2 civil cases found Trump sexually assaulted, defamed CarrollThomson Reuters · Posted: May 28, 2026 8:23 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hour agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.E. Jean Carroll exits the New York Federal Court on Sept. 6, 2024. Carroll's allegation of being sexually assaulted by Donald Trump, in a 2019 magazine article and book, has led to years of litigation. (Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/The Associated Press)The top federal prosecutor in Chicago denied on Thursday that his ‌office has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that the Justice Department had begun an investigation, led by ​the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, into whether Carroll committed ​perjury in testimony involving two civil lawsuits that she won against Trump."The Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office can confirm that it has not opened — and has never opened — ​a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll," U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said in ⁠a statement.Carroll's lawyer, Robbie Kaplan, ⁠did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The ‌source, who requested anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the probe involved testimony in Carroll's successful cases, decided in 2023 and 2024, alleging Trump sexually abused her in a New York department store and defamed her by saying she was lying.CNN first reported the development.Trump has long denied allegationSince last year, Trump's Justice Department has pursued a slew of investigations against the president's antagonists and has brought ‌criminal charges in some cases. The source said the prosecutors' move was based on a 2022 deposition statement by the former Elle magazine advice columnist that she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. Her lawyers later revealed ​that Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, had paid some of her legal bills. An appeals court, however, decided in 2024 that "Ms. Carroll plausibly represented that she had forgotten ⁠about the limited outside funding counsel obtained in September 2020 when this question was first posed to ⁠her in 2022, and the additional discovery did not indicate otherwise." A jury found ⁠in May 2023 that Trump had sexually assaulted Carroll, and defamed her by ⁠lying, but did not rape her. Another jury in January 2024 found that ⁠he ⁠had defamed her and ordered him ​to pay $83.3 million US in damages. In the first trial, the jury only heard from Trump through a 2022 deposition."It's a false accusation, never happened, never would happen," Trump said in the deposition. Donald Trump reiterates denial of sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll at defamation trialTrump, then a private citizen between his presidential terms, briefly took the stand in the second trial, where a judge limited what he would testify about. Trump said he stood by his earlier deposition.Carroll first made the allegation in 2019 that Trump had raped her in the dressing room area of a Bergdorf's store in Manhattan, in a New York Magazine excerpt of a memoir that was being published that year. The alleged assault took place in 1995 or 1996, she said.Carroll said she told some friends about the encounter at the time, but feared retaliation from Trump, then a casino owner. Carroll told CBC News in 2019 she was somewhat reluctant in bringing forth the Trump allegation for her book What Do We Need Men For? A Modest Proposal, but was inspired to do so by the #MeToo movement that arose in late 2017.Trump, president at the time, denied the allegation and said Carroll was "not my type." At his deposition three years later, Trump misidentified Carroll when presented with a picture of the two of them from a decades-old event, first believing the woman was his ex-wife Marla Maples.LISTEN | Lawfare's Ben Wittes on Trump critics facing legal peril (Oct. 2025):Front Burner26:24Trump's campaign of legal revenge'Vile attack on the rule of law'Since Trump returned to the presidency for a second time, Democrats have accused him of seeking retribution against those who he believes have wronged him. Some have also accused acting U.S. attorney general Todd Blanche and his predecessor Pam Bondi of enabling Trump in those quests, undermining the independence of the Justice Department. Comey appears in court on '86 47' allegation that legal experts say could be tough to proveThe department has brought indictments for various alleged offences against former Trump national security adviser John Bolton, former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, although a judge dismissed the charges against James in late 2025.Investigations have also either been announced or uncovered by reporters concerning Sen. Adam Schiff, former CIA director John Brennan and first-term Trump administration members Chris Krebs and Miles Taylor."He's using the power of the [Department of Justice] to go after his own victims," Schiff posted on social media in reference to the Carroll investigation. "It’s a vile attack on the rule of law and a disgusting insult to victims everywhere."With files from the Associated Press