A Justice Department inquiry is connected to an entity backed by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and is related to E Jean Carroll’s deposition, while Carroll is not the subject. The Hoffman-backed nonprofit American Future Republic helped fund a lawsuit in which Carroll won $5 million in damages in 2023 against Donald Trump and later won an $83.3 million defamation award in 2024. Trump has denied the allegations. The investigation is led by the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, where the nonprofit is based. Sources say the inquiry involves potential money-laundering conspiracy and obstruction. The Department of Justice and Carroll’s legal team declined comment, and similar money-laundering charges have been pursued against other left-leaning nonprofits.
"A source familiar with the investigation told the Guardian that Carroll is not the subject of the investigation, but said that it was related to her and her deposition, but more focused on Hoffman's non-profit. A Hoffman-backed non-profit, American Future Republic, helped fund a lawsuit in which Carroll won $5m in damages in 2023 against Trump based on allegations Trump sexually assaulted and defamed her. Carroll won a second, $83.3m defamation award against the president in 2024."
"A second person familiar with the matter said the Hoffman-entity investigation involves potential money-laundering conspiracy and obstruction. The justice department investigation is being led by the US attorney for the northern district of Illinois, where the non-profit is based. The Department of Justice declined to comment. Carroll's legal team also did not provide comment on the news of the investigation. Hoffman did not immediately respond to a request for comment."
"Justice department officials have also pushed prosecutors to crack down on a non-profit led by George Soros, another major leftwing funder. The justice department filed similar money-laundering conspiracy charges against the Southern Poverty Law Center in April that experts have said are flimsy. Lawyers representing the civil rights organization moved to dismiss those charges earlier this week, claiming a vindictive prosecution."
"According to CNN, which first reported the news of the justice department investigation related to Carroll on Wednesday, the prosecutor's theory is related to an October 2022 deposition. The justice department's inquiry into E Jean Carroll is part of an investigation into an entity backed by the LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, according to people familiar with the matter."
Read at www.theguardian.com
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