Month: May 2026

The Department of Justice has initiated a criminal inquiry into whether author E. Jean Carroll gave false testimony during her civil lawsuits against President Donald Trump. According to individuals familiar with the situation, federal prosecutors are examining whether the 82-year-old writer committed perjury regarding the financial backing of her legal team. The investigation is being directed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, based in Chicago. Because acting Attorney General Todd Blanche previously represented Trump as his personal lawyer during Carroll’s appellate proceedings, he has recused himself from the matter.

The focus of the inquiry traces back to an October 2022 deposition. During that session, Trump’s prior defense counsel, Alina Habba, asked, “Is anyone else paying your legal fees, Ms. Carroll?” to which Carroll replied, “No.” It subsequently came to light that a nonprofit group funded by billionaire LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman had provided financial assistance for her lawsuits. Following this disclosure, Habba argued in court filings that Carroll “apparently perjured herself during her deposition; her counsel sat by and allowed her to do so, knowing full well that her testimony was false; and then they conspired to conceal the truth for nearly six months, only to disclose it on the eve of trial.”

Carroll’s legal representation, led by Roberta Kaplan, has strongly disputed any allegations of intentional deception. Kaplan previously explained to the court that “Carroll recollected additional information” after the deposition took place. In a 2023 legal filing, Kaplan noted, “We promptly disclosed to Trump’s counsel that, while Carroll stands by her testimony about this being a contingency fee case, she now recalls that her counsel at some point secured additional funding from a nonprofit organization to cover certain expenses and fees,” Furthermore, a federal appeals court previously upheld Carroll’s credibility on the matter, concluding that “Carroll plausibly represented that she had forgotten about the limited outside funding counsel obtained in September 2020 when this question was first posed to her in 2022.”

This ongoing criminal probe develops alongside the unresolved multi-million dollar judgments from the original civil trials. In 2023, a Manhattan jury held Trump liable for defamation and sexual abuse, awarding Carroll $5 million. In a separate 2024 trial regarding subsequent public remarks made by Trump, an additional jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million. While Trump has continued to maintain his innocence, calling the allegations a “made-up scam,” his legal team recently obtained a stay of execution on the payments. A federal appeals court ruled earlier this month that Trump may defer paying the damages while the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether it will review his appeals.

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Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara has stepped down from his position following revelations that he obstructed an internal probe into his behavior. The departure comes immediately after Mayor Jacob Frey confronted O’Hara with findings from an independent inquiry, presenting him with a choice of facing severe disciplinary actions, which could have ended in his termination. Instead, O’Hara chose to step aside instead.

Assistant Chief Katie Blackwell has been appointed to step in as the acting head of the agency. Blackwell, a veteran who entered the department in 1999 and previously testified regarding department protocols during the high-profile state trial of Derek Chauvin, will manage operations while the city searches for a permanent successor.

The controversy originated from an anonymous tip claiming O’Hara maintained inappropriate romantic involvements with municipal workers. An external legal firm investigated these assertions but found no evidence to back them up. However, a secondary inquiry uncovered that O’Hara actively hindered the initial probe. Specifically, investigators discovered he had wiped a contact card from his city-provided mobile phone to mask his association with a witness and had discussed the active inquiry with other municipal workers despite explicit directives to remain silent.

This swift downfall follows just weeks after Mayor Frey had publicly backed O’Hara for a subsequent four-year tenure, hailing him as “the right leader for this moment and for this city”. Driven by the investigative findings, Frey reversed his position, emphasizing that the chief’s actions demonstrated deficient judgment and a lack of required integrity. During a public briefing, the mayor noted, “Trust is not secondary to the job, it is the job,” and added, “When trust is broken it becomes extremely difficult to continue leading effectively.” Frey also remarked, “Everyone makes mistakes, including me, but what I can’t allow is a breach of trust.”

O’Hara originally assumed control of the law enforcement agency in late 2022, tasked with enacting critical reforms after a federal probe revealed systemic issues within the department. While his departure is overshadowed by misconduct, city officials acknowledged his efforts in lowering crime rates, navigating complex public safety crises, and expanding the department’s ranks.

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A devastating industrial accident at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. facility in Longview, Washington, has left one person dead, nine workers missing, and several others hospitalized. The incident occurred around 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday when a massive, 900,000-gallon industrial storage tank experienced a sudden structural implosion and rupture. The tank contained “white liquor”—a highly corrosive alkaline chemical composed primarily of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, which is used to break down wood chips during paper processing.

PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center confirmed receiving nine victims, including one deceased individual. Emergency officials noted that eight plant employees and one firefighter sustained injuries, with several suffering from severe chemical burns and smoke inhalation. Due to the intensity of their injuries, four patients were transferred to the Legacy Oregon Burn Center in Portland. Perilous conditions and structural instability have heavily restricted search and recovery efforts. Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue Chief Scott Goldstein indicated that approximately 90,000 gallons of the hazardous fluid remain trapped inside the compromised structure, forcing a suspension of operations until daylight. Authorities stated there is “no hope” of finding any remaining survivors among the missing.

Environmental teams from the Washington State Department of Ecology were dispatched to the site after the toxic chemical solution escaped into a local drainage system. While responders successfully deactivated nearby pumps to prevent the corrosive agent from entering the Columbia River, state officials emphasized that there is “no immediate threat to the public.”

A formal investigation into the exact cause of the disaster is underway, with the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board launching an inquiry. Expressing solidarity with the community, Governor Bob Ferguson stated during a press briefing, “On behalf of the people in the state of Washington, I want all those individuals to know that we stand with you,” adding, “We’ll be here to do everything we can to help with the situation, and we’ll be here as long as it takes.”

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