Top federal prosecutor in Chicago denies opening investigation into Carroll

The top federal prosecutor in Chicago denied on Thursday that his office has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s. A person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that the Justice Department had begun an investigation, led by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago, into whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony involving two civil lawsuits that she won against Trump.



"The Chicago U.S. Attorney's Office can confirm that it has not opened - and has never opened - a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll," U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros said in a statement.



The source, who requested anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the probe involved testimony in Carroll's successful cases, decided in 2023 and 2024, alleging Trump sexually abused her in a New York department store and defamed her by saying she was lying.



The launch of a probe may not necessarily result in charges being brought against Carroll.



Since last year, Trump's Justice Department has pursued a slew of investigations against the president's antagonists and has brought criminal charges in some cases.