DOJ Opens Probe Related to E. Jean Caroll's Suit Against Trump

Added: 2026-06-03

[00:00:00]This morning, 82-year-old writer E. Jean Carroll propelled back into the center of a legal drama.

[00:00:06]>> An actual blow to Donald Trump.

[00:00:08]>> Linked to Carroll's two civil court victories [music] against President Trump.

[00:00:12]>> I got sued by E. Jean Carroll.

[00:00:16]>> But this time, it's the Department of Justice opening a federal criminal probe focused on how her legal team was funded. A source familiar with the investigation says prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Northern Illinois are looking into a non-profit that helped pay Carroll's lawyers.

[00:00:36]Carroll and her lawyer declined comment.

[00:00:38]And late Thursday, the U.S. Attorney released a statement that his office has never opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, but did not address the non-profit, which is backed by billionaire LinkedIn founder and Democratic donor Reid Hoffman, whose role President Trump has repeatedly and publicly criticized.

[00:00:59]>> Reid Hoffman is sponsoring this woman that said terrible things from 30 years ago.

[00:01:05]>> A jury found Mr. Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a department store dressing room in the 1990s. Later, he was found liable for defaming her with an $83 million judgment. Carroll spoke with Savannah in 2023.

[00:01:21]>> This is about getting my name back, and that's it we accomplished.

[00:01:26]>> The president has asked the Supreme Court to toss out the case and denied wrongdoing.

[00:01:32]>> I denied the story because it's not true.

[00:01:35]I have no idea who the woman is.

[00:01:38]And I never met her.

[00:01:40]>> In a deposition, Mr. Trump was shown a photo of himself and Carroll, but misidentified her as his second wife.

[00:01:48]>> That's Marla. Yeah. That's That's my wife.

[00:01:53]>> Unlike those other investigations, E.

[00:01:55]Jean Carroll is not a public figure, not a public official, and neither is Reed Hoffman. We've made multiple multiple attempts to reach Hoffman for comment.

[00:02:04]Also, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has recused himself from the Carroll-related investigation, according to a source. He, of course, was one of the president's personal lawyers before he was appointed to the top job at Justice. Laura?

[00:02:17]>> All right, Kelly O'Donnell, we'll see where it goes. And a quick programming note for you here on Meet the Press this [music] weekend. Kristen Welker talks to her former Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic Governor Andy Beshear of Kentucky that Sunday [music] on Meet the Press.

[00:02:31]>> Hey, thanks for watching. And don't forget you can catch the Today show every morning on NBC or take Today when you're on the go. Just follow the Today podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.