The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the writer who accused US President Donald Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s, a source familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.

The probe is focused on whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony tied to two civil lawsuits that she won against Trump - one tied to her allegations that he sexually abused her in a New York department store and another over defamation in 2019, said the source, who requested anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation.

CNN first reported the development.

The launch of a probe, which is being led by the US Attorney's Office in Chicago, may not necessarily result in charges being brought against Carroll.

The department and Carroll's lawyer, Robbie Kaplan, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Since last year, Trump's Justice Department has pursued a slew of investigations against the president's antagonists and has brought criminal charges in some cases.

The source said the prosecutors' move is based on a 2022 deposition statement by the former Elle magazine columnist that she received no outside funding for her lawsuit. Her lawyers later revealed that Reid Hoffman, the billionaire co-founder of LinkedIn, had paid some of her legal bills.

A jury found in May 2023 that Trump had sexually assaulted Carroll and defamed her by lying, but did not rape her. Another jury in January 2024 found that he had defamed her and ordered him to pay $83.3 million in damages.

Trump has denied all wrongdoing and is still in legal battles with Carroll.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who has moved quickly to carry out Trump's demands since taking over from his predecessor Pam Bondi, has been recused from the department's investigation as he worked as one of Trump's personal attorneys on the Carroll appeals, the source added.