US launches criminal investigation into Trump accuser E Jean Carroll, reports say

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has opened a transgression probe into writer E Jean Carroll, who accused President Donald Trump of intersexual assault, CBS News, the BBC's US partner, has reported.

The probe is looking into whether Carroll committed perjury successful transportation with civilian cases she brought against Trump, the quality outlet quotes sources arsenic saying.

Carroll, a erstwhile mag columnist, accused Trump of intersexual battle and defamation, and successfully sued him successful 2 cases. Both judgements were upheld connected appeal, but Trump has since asked the Supreme Court to overturn the archetypal of them.

He has denied the accusations. The BBC has contacted the DOJ and Carroll's lawyer for comment.

In 2023, a assemblage recovered Trump liable for intersexual assault. He was besides recovered liable for defamation for comments helium made the erstwhile twelvemonth successful a station connected Truth Social.

In that post, helium denied Carroll's assertion that she had been attacked by him successful the mid-1990s successful a New York section store dressing room.

A 2nd suit successful 2024 recovered Trump again liable for defamation successful transportation with comments helium made astir Carroll successful 2019, successful which helium accused her of making up the claims against him to merchantability a book.

Trump has appealed to the US Supreme Court to overturn the archetypal judgement, for which helium was ordered to wage $5m (£3.7m) to Carroll. He has besides vowed to bash the aforesaid with the different case, successful which Carroll was awarded $83m.

The caller transgression lawsuit is looking into whether Carroll lied erstwhile she said successful a 2022 deposition that she received nary extracurricular backing for her civilian suit against Trump, a root told CBS.

It was revealed successful ineligible papers archetypal filed by Trump's lawyers successful 2023 that the co-founder of LinkedIn, Reid Hoffman, had helped to wage for immoderate of Carroll's ineligible fees and expenses.

The contented was brought up during the case's appeal, and the tribunal recovered that Carroll had "plausibly represented" successful her deposition "that she had forgotten astir the constricted extracurricular backing counsel obtained".

The "additional discovery... showed that Ms Carroll simply was not progressive successful the substance of who was oregon was not backing her litigation costs," the US Court of Appeals for the Second District continued successful a 2024 ruling.

The caller probe is being led by the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, 1 root told CBS.

CNN, which archetypal reported the story, reported that portion Carroll's deposition took spot successful New York, 1 of the individuals who helped screen immoderate of Carroll's ineligible fees, Hoffman, has a non-profit organisation based successful Chicago.

The BBC has besides approached Hoffman's non-profit for comment.

Acting US Attorney General Todd Blanche, who personally represented Trump successful the entreaty cases against Carroll, is recused from the case, a root told CBS.

Since returning to bureau past year, Trump has repeatedly called connected the DOJ to prosecute a scope of his adversaries.