May 28, 2026 New York  — Women’s Justice NOW (WJN) condemns the Department of Justice’s opening of a criminal investigation into writer and sexual assault survivor E. Jean Carroll as a deeply alarming abuse of prosecutorial power and the latest example of Donald Trump’s campaign of intimidation and retribution against his perceived enemies.

According to CNN, the DOJ has opened an inquiry into whether Carroll committed perjury in connection with her civil lawsuits against Donald Trump. Two juries found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and awarded Carroll more than $88 million in damages.

This investigation comes after years of Trump publicly attacking Carroll, and vowing political revenge against critics, former officials, prosecutors, journalists and sex assault survivors.

“When the full weight of the Justice Department is turned against an 82-year-old woman who successfully held a powerful public official legally accountable in court, it sends a chilling message to everyone: speak out against those in power, and you too may become the target of government retaliation and risk criminal prosecution,” said Sonia Ossorio, executive director of Women’s Justice NOW.

The reported basis for the inquiry concerns litigation funding disclosures that were publicly addressed during the civil proceedings and rejected as grounds to overturn Carroll’s credibility or verdicts. Legal experts and advocates have already raised serious concerns that the investigation reflects political motivations rather than legitimate law enforcement priorities.

“The investigation into Carroll fits a broader and increasingly alarming pattern in which federal law enforcement agencies and other government agencies are no longer independent and are being used by the president of the United States to seek retribution on his enemies,” Ossorio said. “No American should fear that winning in court against a powerful official will make you a target of the government. We are in very dangerous territory.”

Women’s Justice NOW stands firmly with E. Jean Carroll and all survivors who risk retaliation when they come forward. WJN calls on DOJ leadership and members of Congress to ensure that prosecutorial decisions remain free from political interference and to reaffirm that survivors seeking justice will not be punished for seeking justice in court.

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