E. Jean Carroll, the former magazine columnist who accused President Trump of sexual assault, is the target of a federal criminal investigation ... according to multiple reports.

The investigation is said to be looking into whether Carroll committed perjury in testimony as part of her two civil lawsuits against Trump.

Carroll sued Trump, claiming he sexually abused her in the 1990s in a New York City department store. She sued him again in 2019 for defamation after he denied the alleged assault, saying she wasn't his type and claiming she made it all up to help sell her book.

Her claims eventually went to a civil trial and in 2023 a New York jury found Trump liable for defaming Carroll and sexually abusing her ... but not liable for rape. Carroll was awarded $5 Million in damages and Trump submitted an appeal for a new trial ... which was ultimately denied.

CNN, which was first to report on the investigation, says prosecutors believe Carroll may have committed perjury in a 2022 deposition statement when she said she did not receive outside funding for her lawsuit. There were later news reports claiming billionaire Reid Hoffman paid some of her legal fees and expenses.

We reached out to Carroll's camp ... so far no word back.