The Justice Department has opened investigations into four prominent figures who have crossed paths — and often swords — with President Donald Trump, probing allegations that range from perjury and financial mismanagement to false statements and violations of political activity restrictions. The targets include a writer who won an $83.3 million defamation judgment against Trump, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, the former FBI director who oversaw the Russia investigation, and the former special counsel who prosecuted Trump on federal charges.

E. Jean Carroll

The Justice Department last week opened a perjury investigation into E. Jean Carroll, the former advice columnist who successfully sued Trump for sexual assault and defamation. In May 2023, a Manhattan jury unanimously ruled that Trump battered and defamed Carroll, who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a New York City department store in 1996. The jury did not reach a unanimous agreement that Trump raped Carroll under New York’s legal definition, but District Judge Lewis Kaplan clarified that Trump’s actions would under most definitions be considered rape.

In January 2024, the court ruled Trump must pay Carroll $83.3 million in damages, including $65 million in punitive damages for defamatory statements Trump made about Carroll in 2019 after she first levied accusations. Trump’s attempts to fight the judgment have continued into his presidency. In September, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld the judgment, saying Trump “failed to identify any grounds that would warrant reconsidering our prior holding on presidential immunity.” In April, the federal appeals court again rejected Trump’s request for the case to be reheard.

The perjury investigation centers on a 2022 deposition in which Carroll said she did not receive outside funding for her lawsuit. The New York Times, Fortune and Axios reported in April 2023 that LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman helped pay for some of Carroll’s legal fees. The appeals court later determined that Carroll had “plausibly represented” in her deposition “that she had forgotten about the limited outside funding counsel obtained,” and said the judge saw no issue with Carroll’s credibility.

“Rather, it showed that Ms. Carroll simply was not involved in the matter of who was or was not funding her litigation costs,” the appeals court wrote.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, who served as one of Trump’s attorneys in the case, is recused from the investigation.

Jerome Powell

Former Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has drawn criticism from Trump over the central bank maintaining elevated interest rates in response to inflation. In November, the Justice Department opened an investigation into Powell over the cost of remodeling the Federal Reserve’s headquarters.

The probe centers on the $2.5 billion renovation of the Marriner S. Eccles Building and the Federal Reserve Board-East Building. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who took the lead on the investigation, has alleged the project is billions of dollars over budget. Powell called the investigation a “pretext,” an attempt to punish him for not lowering interest rates at the president’s command.

Trump appointed Powell to lead the Federal Reserve in 2018. For months, the president warned he may try to remove Powell as chairman, though that did not come to pass. Powell’s term ended last month, and Kevin Warsh has succeeded him. Powell remains on the board of governors.

The investigation into Powell nearly had the opposite effect of removing him. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he would not vote to advance Trump’s nominee to succeed Powell out of the Senate Banking Committee until the investigation concluded. Days before the committee voted, the Justice Department announced it would pause its investigation into Powell. Pirro called on the Inspector General for the Federal Reserve to investigate the renovation costs.

“The IG has the authority to hold the Federal Reserve accountable to American taxpayers,” Pirro posted on social media. “I expect a comprehensive report in short order and am confident the outcome will assist in resolving, once and for all, the questions that led this office to issue subpoenas.”

James Comey

Former FBI Director James Comey has been indicted for making false statements and obstruction during his 2020 testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. The Justice Department announced charges in September, alleging that Comey made false statements and obstructed justice as the Senate committee probed claims that Russia had colluded with Trump during his 2016 election campaign.

Interim U.S. Attorney for Eastern Virginia Lindsey Halligan said the charges “represent a breach of public trust at an extraordinary level.” Comey pleaded not guilty during a hearing in October, and his defense team announced plans to file motions alleging the charges are “vindictive and selective prosecution” and challenging Halligan’s appointment.

Trump called for the Justice Department to prosecute Comey in a post on social media, saying “We can’t delay any longer.” Trump wrote that “they impeached me twice and indicted me (5 times!) OVER NOTHING. JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!”

In November, federal magistrate Judge William Fitzpatrick ruled that Halligan made errors in the indictment that could derail the entire case, including potentially violating Comey’s Fourth Amendment rights and violating court orders. He said the prosecution went against its burden of proof by telling the grand jury that Comey may need to testify at trial to explain his innocence, and that Halligan appeared to have misled the grand jury on how much evidence the prosecution had.

“The Court finds the record in this case requires full disclosure of grand jury materials,” Fitzpatrick said. “In so finding, the Court recognizes this is an extraordinary remedy, but given the factually based challenges the defense has raised to the government’s conduct and the prospect that government misconduct may have tainted the grand jury proceedings, disclosure of grand jury materials under these unique circumstances is necessary to fully protect the rights of the accused.”

U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie of South Carolina later ruled that Halligan’s appointment as U.S. attorney by then-Attorney General Pam Bondi was “invalid,” saying “Halligan has been unlawfully serving in that role since September 22, 2025.” Currie dismissed the case against Comey as well as a case against New York Attorney General Letitia James, on the grounds that Halligan was improperly appointed. Halligan stepped down after U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Virginia David Novak prohibited her from representing herself as a U.S. attorney before the court.

“In short, this charade of Ms. Halligan masquerading as the United States Attorney for this District in direct defiance of binding court orders must come to an end,” Novak said.

Jack Smith

Jack Smith, the former special counsel who investigated Trump during the Biden administration for mishandling classified documents and for his involvement in an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results, is also under investigation. Days before Trump was sworn into office, Smith tendered his resignation.

After Trump won the 2024 election, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan agreed to dismiss the indictment against him for his election scheme without prejudice. Smith has stood by the indictment, telling a House Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this year that he would prosecute Trump again.

“If asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, I would do so regardless of whether that president was a Republican or a Democrat,” Smith told the committee.

In February 2025, Trump signed an executive order to suspend security clearances held by lawyers at the law firm Covington & Burling, which assisted Smith while he was special counsel. When signing the order, Trump said he wanted to “savor” the moment.

In August, the Office of Special Counsel opened an investigation into Smith, alleging violations of the Hatch Act, a law that prohibits political activities by government officials. No further details about the investigation or the alleged activities have been made public. The Office of Special Counsel does not have the authority to file charges but can recommend actions to the Justice Department.

At least 20 officials who were part of the federal prosecutions of Trump have been fired by Trump, including nine members of Smith’s team.