One of President Donald Trump's favorite U.S. Attorneys quietly opened an investigation into the Federal Reserve chairman last year, according to a new report.
The New York Times reported on Sunday that Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., opened an investigation into Jerome Powell, who Trump appointed to lead the Federal Reserve in 2017, over his handling of the Federal Reserve headquarters renovation. The move comes at a time when Trump has sought to remove Powell from his post over his hesitance to lower interest rates.
Trump told The New York Times last week that he wants to replace Powell with his top economic advisor, Kevin Hassett.
"It is not clear whether Ms. Pirro has convened a grand jury or issued subpoena," the report reads in part. "But prosecutors in her office have contacted Mr. Powell’s staff multiple times to request documents about the renovation project, according to an official with knowledge of the investigation who discussed an open inquiry on the condition of anonymity."
Starting an investigation is one thing, presenting sufficient evidence to secure an indictment from a federal grand jury — or making it stick — is another," it added.
Trump-aligned prosecutors have opened multiple investigations into Trump's foes, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, to name a few.
These investigations have run into multiple roadblocks. For instance, Trump-aligned prosecutor Lindsey Halligan was removed from the cases against James and Comey because a judge found she was illegally serving as interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear Cook's case on January 21, the NYT noted.