The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who sued former President Donald Trump over sexual assault allegations. The move follows Trump's return to office and feeds concerns about DOJ weaponization against political opponents.
Carroll initially sued Trump in New York state court in November 2022 under the Adult Survivors Act, a law creating a one-year window for victims to sue for conduct occurring decades earlier. A jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in May 2023, awarding Carroll $5.83 million in damages. The federal criminal investigation into Carroll herself represents an escalation that critics view as retaliatory against someone who testified against Trump in civil proceedings.
The investigation's scope remains unclear. Carroll has not been charged with any crime. The DOJ under Trump's appointees has initiated multiple probes into his political opponents and legal adversaries, including Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and other Trump critics.
Separately, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has moved to overturn penalties previously secured by career CFTC attorneys against Trump donors. The action signals the commission may be reviewing enforcement decisions made under the Biden administration that targeted Trump's supporters. Career staff at federal agencies have expressed alarm about politically motivated reversals of enforcement actions.
These developments underscore broader concerns that Trump's second term is pursuing retaliatory investigations and administrative reversals against political enemies and those involved in litigation against him. The Carroll investigation particularly stands out because it targets a witness whose testimony may have influenced civil liability determinations against Trump. Federal prosecutors investigating an alleged victim or critic of a president raises constitutional and ethical questions about impartiality and abuse of prosecutorial power.