[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Well, this legal saga just keeps getting messier and messier.
E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who successfully sued Donald Trump in two explosive civil cases, is now reportedly facing a criminal investigation from the Justice Department tied to her courtroom testimony. And yes, the twist in this already unbelievable political soap opera is every bit as dramatic as you’d expect…
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According to a report from CNN on Thursday, federal investigators are looking into whether Carroll may have committed perjury during testimony connected to her lawsuits against the president. Specifically, prosecutors are reportedly examining statements she made during a 2022 deposition in which she claimed nobody else was funding her legal battle against Trump.
But later on, it came out that billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman allegedly helped cover some of Carroll’s legal fees and related expenses through a nonprofit organization. That revelation apparently stunned Trump’s legal team at the time and has now become the center of this fresh investigation.
As Perezcious readers probably remember, Carroll accused Trump of sexually assaulting her inside a New York department store back in the mid-1990s. Trump repeatedly denied the allegations, famously insisting she was “not his type” and accusing her of fabricating the story to sell books. The ugly public war between the two eventually exploded into multiple lawsuits, with juries awarding Carroll millions of dollars in damages.
Now, though, the spotlight has suddenly shifted onto Carroll herself.
Trump attorney Alina Habba reportedly argued during the original proceedings that Carroll’s side intentionally concealed the financial backing for months. Carroll’s attorneys later acknowledged that outside funding existed, but maintained that she personally never communicated with Hoffman or anyone connected to the nonprofit helping fund the case.
Still, the discrepancy appears to have caught the attention of the Justice Department under acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Ironically, Blanche reportedly had to recuse himself from this particular matter because he previously worked directly as one of Trump’s personal attorneys during the Carroll appeals.
Hmmm…
The investigation has reportedly been referred to federal prosecutors in Chicago, partly because the nonprofit connected to Hoffman is based there. Meanwhile, Carroll’s team is staying completely silent publicly and has declined to comment on the situation altogether, CNN noted.
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And if you thought this legal circus was nearing the end, think again. Trump is still aggressively appealing both verdicts against him, including the massive $83 million defamation judgment and the separate $5 million abuse verdict.
The US Supreme Court has repeatedly delayed deciding whether it will even hear one of the appeals, with reports saying the justices have now deferred action over and over again. And now, there’s this purported criminal investigation.
Wow. Reactions, y’all?
[Image via MEGA/WENN]
