Fed Chair Jerome Powell subpoenas blocked by judge

A federal judge has blocked subpoenas issued to the Federal Reserve as part of a criminal investigation of its chair, Jerome Powell, by the prosecutors in the office of U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, a court filing showed Friday.

Pirro is set to give an update on the probe of Jerome Powell on Friday afternoon.

Pirro’s planned statement comes as Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has vowed to continue a blockage of President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Powell, Kevin Warsh, as chair. Tillis has said he will not lift that block until the investigation of Powell is resolved.

Powell has said he learned he was under investigation by Pirro’s office, ostensibly in connection with pricey renovations of the Federal Reserve headquarters, and his testimony to the Senate Banking Committee about that project.

Tillis in a statement on the social media site X said, “This ruling confirms just how weak and frivolous the criminal investigation of Chairman Powell is and it is nothing more than a failed attack on Fed independence.”

“We all know how this is going to end and the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office should save itself further embarrassment,” Tillis wrote.

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