DOJ probe targets Reid Hoffman nonprofit tied to E. Jean Carroll case

The Department of Justice is investigating the nonprofit of billionaire Reid Hoffman, which made contributions that were partially used for E. Jean Carroll's legal expenses during her civil lawsuit against President Trump, a source familiar tells Axios.

Why it matters: The investigation raises concerns about a pattern of retaliation against Trump critics while testing the independence of DOJ officials.

• Hoffman, a LinkedIn co-founder, has donated millions to Democratic causes and the party over the years and is a longtime Trump critic. The president previously alleged Hoffman is a funder of "radical left" groups that promote political violence.

What they're saying: "The investigation is more focused on Reid Hoffman's nonprofit," American Future Republic, than Carroll herself, a source familiar with the DOJ's operations tells Axios.

• "It's related to E. Jean Carroll and her deposition, but she is not the subject of the investigation."
• "The investigation is ongoing... but as of right now, it would be inaccurate to say that she is being investigated."
• The White House referred Axios to the DOJ for comment. The DOJ and Carroll's legal team declined to comment.

Hoffman did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Flashback: Carroll accused Trump of sexual assault at a Manhattan department store in the 1990s, filing a civil suit against him. Trump was initially found liable for sexual abuse and defamation and fined $5 million.

• Trump has appealed the case to the Supreme Court, but the court has not decided if it will hear the case.

Context: Carroll was previously questioned about a 2022 deposition in which she said she received no outside funding for her lawsuit, but her attorneys later said that Hoffman's nonprofit covered some of her legal expenses.

• Dmitri Mehlhorn, then a philanthropic adviser for Hoffman, said in a 2017 statement that the nonprofit made a donation to the Kaplan Hecker & Fink law firm for a different public interest lawsuit. But when the firm took up Carroll's case in 2020, her lawyer asked if the grant money could be used for the suit against Trump.
• "We had no prior knowledge at the time of the original grant that our funding would go to support her case in particular," Mehlhorn said, according to the New York Times.

Yes, but: Trump argued in court that Carroll had committed perjury. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his position.

• The court found that "there was no evidence to suggest that Ms. Carroll was personally involved in securing the funding, interacted with the funder," or had knowledge of where the money came from prior to being deposed in October 2022.

Go deeper: Red-meat retribution: Trump escalates campaign against MAGA foes