The Justice Department opened a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll in late May 2026, focusing on potential perjury in her 2022 deposition testimony during the civil lawsuits against President Trump, particularly statements about legal fee funding. The probe is being handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois under a Trump-appointed prosecutor. This development followed Trump’s successful 2024 election and ongoing appeals of the $5 million and $83.3 million civil verdicts, including efforts to invoke the Westfall Act for DOJ substitution. Trader sentiment reflects the heightened scrutiny from federal prosecutors in a case tied to political adversaries, tempered by the evidentiary thresholds for perjury charges, the investigation’s early stage, and uncertainty over whether it will advance to indictment. Scheduled Supreme Court conferences on related appeals and any updates from the Chicago office could influence probabilities.