Trump said he would accept a non-DOJ probe into Federal Reserve renovation spending. His concession came Thursday as Republicans consider alternatives to U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's criminal inquiry — a dispute that has put Kevin Warsh's nomination to replace Jerome Powell at risk and prompted talk of a possible congressional review.
Trump signals openness to a non-DOJ review President Donald Trump told an interviewer that a probe conducted outside the Justice Department could provide answers about renovation spending at Federal Reserve buildings. "[They] could. I mean, look, it's pretty easy," Trump said when asked whether someone besides the DOJ could investigate, suggesting he would accept an alternative review if it produced results. Lawmakers and administration officials have discussed a congressional investigation as an alternative so senators might lift a hold on Warsh's nomination. Treasury officials and several Republican senators have floated that option to resolve the standoff without relying solely on U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's criminal inquiry. Trump also tied the renovation controversy to his broader criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, calling the project costly and saying Powell "has been terrible on interest rates." The president warned he could remove Powell from the Fed's Board of Governors if Powell does not vacate the chair when his term as chair ends. Pirro refuses to back down and moves to appeal Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, said Wednesday that her investigation into alleged cost overruns will continue and that she plans to appeal a federal judge's decision that blocked grand jury subpoenas. "The cost overruns on that building are well over a billion dollars. This investigation continues," Pirro said, adding that she is "in the legal lane." Judge James Boasberg wrote that a "mountain of evidence" suggested the subpoenas were issued to pressure Federal Reserve board members. Boasberg set a deadline for Pirro to file an appeal; she confirmed she will seek reinstatement of the subpoenas used to pursue documents and testimony related to the renovation of two historic Fed buildings in Washington. Senate hold, nomination at stake The criminal probe and the judge's ruling have complicated Kevin Warsh's path to the Fed's top job. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he will block Warsh's confirmation until the DOJ drops the investigation, leaving the Fed with an unresolved transition at a sensitive time for monetary policy. What this means for Warsh and the Fed: - A sustained hold could delay Warsh's confirmation and limit the White House's immediate influence over monetary policy. - Seats with expired terms and a narrow set of sympathetic governors complicate the Board of Governors' balance. - The outcome of the legal appeals and any congressional review will shape both Warsh's prospects and questions about the Fed's institutional independence. Warsh is President Trump's pick to replace Jerome Powell as Fed chair. Winning a seat on the seven-member Board of Governors requires a vacancy and Senate confirmation; the administration currently has only a few sympathetic appointees among sitting governors, and the timing of confirmations matters for policy influence.Related Articles
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Pirro said she will appeal Judge James Boasberg's order. "I am going forward. We're appealing the decision of Judge Boasberg," she said.
This article was created with AI assistance.
