Washington DC - The Justice Department has launched a criminal probe into E. Jean Carroll, a former columnist whom President Donald Trump was found liable for sexually assaulting.

Trump has repeatedly urged his Justice Department to take action against his enemies, and the latest inquiry focuses on whether Carroll committed perjury in her two civil lawsuits against Trump, CNN and The New York Times said, quoting people familiar with the matter.

In one of the lawsuits, Carroll alleged that Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store in 1996.

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In the other, a jury found Trump guilty of defamation for his many malicious public comments denying any assault, describing her as not being his type, and alleging that she concocted the incident to boost her book sales.

CNN said prosecutors are citing a 2022 deposition statement by Carroll (82) that she received no outside money for her lawsuits. It later emerged that billionaire Reid Hoffman had paid some legal fees and expenses, CNN said.

The Times reported federal prosecutor Andrew S. Boutros, who was appointed by Trump, opened the inquiry.

The Justice Department did not immediately reply to a AFP request for comment.