US launches criminal probe into Trump accuser E Jean Carroll

US authorities have reportedly opened a criminal investigation into E Jean Carroll, the former columnist who successfully sued Donald Trump in civil court. The probe centres on allegations that Carroll may have lied about the funding sources behind her civil lawsuit against the US president.

US federal authorities have launched a criminal investigation into E Jean Carroll, the writer who brought successful civil lawsuits against President Donald Trump, according to reports. The probe focuses on whether Carroll was truthful about how her legal action against Trump was financed.

Carroll won two civil cases against Trump — one for sexual abuse and defamation, and another for defamation — and was awarded tens of millions of dollars in damages. The question of who funded her litigation has become a point of contention, with investigators now examining whether she misrepresented that financial backing.

The development marks a notable reversal of fortune for Carroll, who had previously been seen as one of the most prominent legal adversaries of the current US president. Trump has consistently denied Carroll's allegations and dismissed the civil verdicts against him. The criminal inquiry represents a new legal pressure point on Carroll following Trump's return to the White House.