DOJ Opens Criminal Probe Into Reid Hoffman's Nonprofit Over E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit Funding

# DOJ Opens Criminal Probe Into Reid Hoffman's Nonprofit Over E. Jean Carroll Lawsuit Funding

> **Quick answer:** The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into American Future Republic, a nonprofit backed by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, for allegedly funding E. Jean Carroll's civil lawsuits against Donald Trump without disclosure. Carroll testified in 2022 that she received no outside funding — but her attorneys later confirmed Hoffman's group covered roughly $7 million in legal fees. The probe targets the nonprofit for potential money laundering, conspiracy, and obstruction. Carroll herself is not under criminal investigation.

The DOJ's criminal probe into Reid Hoffman's nonprofit American Future Republic marks a significant escalation in the legal fallout from E. Jean Carroll's defamation and sexual assault cases against Donald Trump. Here's everything you need to know about who is under investigation, what happened in that 2022 deposition, and what the dark money angle means for how American courts work.

## What the DOJ Investigation Actually Covers

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois — operating out of Chicago — has opened a criminal investigation focused specifically on American Future Republic (AFR), a nonprofit organization with deep financial ties to Reid Hoffman, the billionaire LinkedIn co-founder and prominent Democratic donor.

According to sources cited by Axios and the Associated Press, prosecutors are examining potential **money laundering, conspiracy, and obstruction** charges against the organization. The core allegation is that AFR directed approximately $7 million in legal funding toward Carroll's lawsuits against Trump while that funding remained undisclosed during the litigation.