Billionaire Democratic donor Reid Hoffman has publicly stated that a U.S. Justice Department criminal investigation into donations he made to support magazine columnist E Jean Carroll's sexual abuse and defamation lawsuits against Donald Trump is intended to "silence" critics of the president. The investigation, recently reported to be underway, targets individuals involved in the lawsuits.
Background of the Lawsuits
Carroll alleged that Trump sexually abused her in a Manhattan department store three decades ago. These claims led to a jury awarding her $5 million in 2023 and an additional $83 million in a separate defamation lawsuit a year later. Trump has denied the allegations, and the awards are under appeal.
Investigation into Hoffman's Donations
The Hoffman-affiliated nonprofit organization American Future Republic is reportedly under investigation by the government for payments made to Kaplan Hecker & Fink, the law firm that represented Carroll. The Justice Department has declined to comment on ongoing investigations. Roberta Kaplan, Carroll's lead attorney, stated that she cannot comment beyond public records.
Hoffman wrote on X on Friday that Trump "is investigating me because I supported E Jean's lawsuit." In a Substack post, he added, "Trump cannot be allowed to use the full weight and power of the US government to come after women who speak up, or anyone who supports them in doing so." Hoffman, whose net worth is estimated at $2.2 billion, emphasized the seriousness of the matter, noting that a jury found Trump liable for sexual assault and a court upheld the decision.
Hoffman urged Trump to focus on lowering gasoline prices and solving real problems instead of launching retaliatory lawsuits. He stated that the president "hopes that these fraudulent investigations will silence those who stand up to him. He is wrong. I will not bend the knee."
Details of the Probe
The investigation reportedly reviews statements Carroll made in a deposition about funding and whether she provided false information when claiming her cases were handled on a "contingency" basis. Six months after the deposition, Carroll's lawyer informed the judge and Trump's attorneys that she "has recollected additional information" and recalled that her counsel secured additional funding from a nonprofit to offset expenses. However, an appeals court found no evidence that Carroll was personally involved in securing the funding or interacted with the funder.
There has been conflicting information about the probe. Chicago U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros stated that his office had not opened a criminal investigation into Carroll.
Hoffman's Political Involvement
Hoffman has long been a critic of Trump and has donated millions to Democratic candidates. He supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, which Trump won. Hoffman has also faced scrutiny over his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with whom he claimed interactions ended in 2015. Emails released by Congress show he visited Epstein's Caribbean island in 2014 and held meetings until 2018. Trump in November said he would ask the attorney general, Justice Department, and FBI to investigate Epstein's involvement with several prominent Democrats, including Hoffman. Hoffman dismissed Trump's threat as "baseless" and stated he had no engagement with Epstein beyond fundraising for MIT.
The reported Justice Department inquiry comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether to hear a case against Carroll's $5 million jury award. Trump has also indicated he will seek to take the $83 million judgment to the Supreme Court.
