U.S. Attorney Says No Criminal Probe Opened Into E. Jean Carroll as Donations Face Scrutiny
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 29
U.S. Attorney Says No Criminal Probe Opened Into E. Jean Carroll as Donations Face Scrutiny
10 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 29
Andrew Boutros, the U.S. attorney in Northern Illinois, said Thursday his office “has never opened” a criminal investigation into 82-year-old E. Jean Carroll.
The Justice Department inquiry instead centers on donations from Reid Hoffman’s nonprofit, American Future Republic, which helped pay Carroll’s legal bills.
Prosecutors are examining whether Carroll’s answers about that funding during civil proceedings over her sexual-assault accusations against President Trump were truthful, though the nonprofit remains the current criminal focus.
The review signals a broader shift in the administration’s scrutiny from public officials and political adversaries to a private citizen whose lawsuits against Trump were deeply personal.
Could this case redefine the financial risks for nonprofits backing challenges against powerful public figures?
Where is the legal line between funding access to justice and improperly influencing a lawsuit's outcome?
How will this inquiry into lawsuit funding reshape the booming, multi-trillion dollar private investment industry?