Former federal prosecutor and CNN legal expert Elie Honig reacted Friday to comments from Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, who was furious during an impromptu press conference following a major legal blow to the Trump administration.
Honig described the legal impact after U.S. District Judge James Boasberg granted the order, agreeing with the Fed that Trump's repeated attacks on Fed chair Jerome Powell indicate the investigation into the Federal Reserve's building renovation was pretextual and politically motivated.
"So first of all, that press conference in itself was extraordinary," Honig said. "Ordinarily, whenever you see a U.S. Attorney call a press conference and address the cameras, it's because there's been an indictment or a conviction or a sentence. I don't think I've ever seen a U.S. attorney or an attorney general call a press conference to complain about a ruling that he or she did not like. That was essentially a public temper tantrum."
Honig also fact-checked some of what Pirro said during the unusual press conference.
"You heard Jeanine Pirro say that thisjudge, Judge Boasberg, is a quote 'activist judge,''" Honig said. "This judge waselevated to the district courtby Barack Obama. But beforethat, he was put on the local D.C. Superior Court by George W. Bush.And in this judge's past, hehas actually denied a motionyears ago to try to get Donald Trump's tax returns. He ruledin favor of Donald Trump onthose tax returns. And thenfinally, most fundamentally, wejust heard Jeanine Pirro complainthat the grand jury subpoena isan important tool ofprosecutors, which it is. Youheard Jeanine Pirro say that the judge 'hastaken that tool away from us.'That's not quite right."
Honig clarified what Boasberg said.
"Now thebar is very low here," Honig said. "But whatthe judge has said is you don'thave absolute free rein to issuewhatever grand jury subpoenasyou want. The judge was rightabout that. There is a very lowbar that prosecutors have toclear, very low, however, in thiscase, Judge Boasberg said yousimply have not cleared that.And in the opinion. Judge Boasberg says there is amountain of evidence that thereis bad faith behind thisinvestigation intended topressure the Fed and on the other hand, there is, quote, 'essentially zero evidence of acrime.' So that's reallyimportant to keep in mind whenwe're digesting Pirro'scomments right there."