The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a criminal investigation regarding E. Jean Carroll’s civil lawsuits against former President Donald Trump, focusing on whether Carroll committed perjury and the role of American Future Republic, a nonprofit funded by Reid Hoffman that covered some of her legal expenses [1].
Carroll won two civil judgments against Trump: a $5 million verdict in 2023 for sexual abuse and defamation, followed by an $83.3 million ruling in 2024 for defamation [1].
The investigation was triggered by Carroll’s 2022 deposition statement in which she denied that anyone was paying her legal fees. However, later disclosures revealed that American Future Republic had funded part of her litigation costs [1]. Despite this, a judge ruled that evidence about the nonprofit’s funding was irrelevant to Carroll’s credibility and barred related questions at trial [1].
On May 29, 2026, Hoffman publicly condemned the DOJ investigation, calling it retaliation by Trump. He said, “Trump cannot be allowed to use the full weight and power of the US Government to come after women who speak up, or anyone who supports them in doing so.” Hoffman also stated, “He is investigating me because I supported E Jean's lawsuit — where a jury found Trump liable for sexually assaulting her, and a court of appeals upheld the decision.” He added, “Trump hopes that these fraudulent investigations will silence those who stand up to him. He is wrong.” [2, 1]
Hoffman said he will not ‘‘bend the knee’’ to the former president [2, 1]. The DOJ inquiry centers on potential perjury by Carroll and the funding trail involving Hoffman's nonprofit.
The next major development will depend on the DOJ's findings and any subsequent legal actions related to the investigation.
