E. J. Carroll previously claimed that D. Trump sexually assaulted her 30 years ago at a Manhattan department store.
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The person who confirmed the investigation fact was not authorized to discuss it publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The investigation is led by the Chicago federal prosecutor’s office, and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche does not participate due to his previous work as D. Trump’s personal lawyer, a source said.
E. J. Carroll’s lawyers had not yet responded to requests for comment from the AP news agency on Thursday.
This is the latest in a series of investigations initiated by the Department of Justice under the Trump administration against alleged opponents of the president. These actions, including charges filed last month against former FBI Director James Comey, have caused Democrats and former officials to worry that the institution, which should make independent decisions on criminal prosecution from the White House, is being weaponized.
E. J. Carroll stated that in 1996 a chance and flirtatious meeting with D. Trump at the Bergdorf Goodman store on Fifth Avenue ended in violence. She said that D. Trump pinned her against the dressing room wall and forcibly used her. D. Trump called these allegations a “fabricated hoax.”
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In 2023, a jury found D. Trump guilty of sexually abusing E. J. Carroll in 1996 and awarded her $5 million (4.25 million euros). The following year, another jury awarded E. J. Carroll $83.3 million (70 million euros) in a defamation case related to D. Trump’s attacks against her on social media.
Earlier this month, a court record stated that D. Trump would not have to pay compensation until the U.S. Supreme Court has the opportunity to review the case or reject the appeal.
The U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request from one of D. Trump’s lawyers to allow the president to delay payment to E. J. Carroll, although it required him to pay a $7.4 million (6.29 million euros) bond to cover additional interest costs, as requested by E. J. Carroll’s lawyer.
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The investigation into E. J. Carroll was first reported by CNN television.
