Overview
- Prosecutors from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office arrived unannounced Tuesday at the Federal Reserve’s headquarters construction site and were refused entry after workers directed them to the bank’s legal team.
- A spokesperson for Pirro’s office confirmed the visit, which the Wall Street Journal first reported, and Fed outside counsel Robert Hur objected in a letter that said the team showed up without notice and asked for a tour to check the project’s progress.
- The attempt followed Chief Judge James Boasberg’s March ruling quashing Justice Department subpoenas in the renovation probe and his denial this month of a government request to revisit that decision.
- The investigation targets Chair Jerome Powell’s oversight of the headquarters overhaul, a project not funded by tax dollars that CBS News reports has reached about $2.5 billion, yet prosecutors have filed no charges.
- The standoff is shaping Fed leadership politics, with Sen. Thom Tillis saying he will not advance President Donald Trump’s nominee Kevin Warsh until the probe ends, as former officials warn the pressure risks eroding the central bank’s independence.