DOJ probing outside funding E. Jean Carroll received for Trump civil lawsuits

Politics Justice Dept. investigating outside funding E. Jean Carroll received for civil lawsuits against Trump, sources say By Sarah N. Lynch Sarah N. Lynch Senior Justice Department Reporter Sarah N. Lynch is the senior Justice Department reporter for CBS News, based in Washington, D.C. Read Full Bio Sarah N. Lynch May 28, 2026 / 5:34 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into a nonprofit run by billionaire Reid Hoffman that funded a portion of author E. Jean Carroll's civil litigation against President Trump, several sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.The investigation, which is being led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, is looking into possible crimes including money laundering, conspiracy and obstruction, the sources said. CBS News could not immediately learn what prompted the investigation or determine the legal theory of the case. Hoffman could not be immediately reached for comment. File: E. Jean Carroll at Sony Hall on Oct. 08, 2024 in New York City. Steven Ferdman / Getty Images On Wednesday evening, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News that the investigation was focused on whether Carroll had committed perjury during a deposition in connection with her civil lawsuits against Mr. Trump in which she alleged he had sexually abused and defamed her.On Thursday, however, that source followed up and said Carroll is not the target of the investigation, which is focused on funding that Hoffman's nonprofit, American Future Republic, provided to help cover some of her legal team's expenses.Two separate sources also confirmed that the probe is focused on the American Future Republic. One of the sources added that while the perjury allegations against Carroll were part of the original referral that the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago received earlier this year, prosecutors there are not pursuing that line of inquiry at this time.Counsel for Carroll declined to comment...