Trump’s attorney, Pirro, remains a criminal

Tension over Jerome Powell has not died down as U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said Sunday she may restart a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve chair depending on what an inspector general finds about renovations to Fed buildings, just days after suspending the investigation.

“I want to see what’s there. If there’s something, great. And if it’s not there, I’ll go home,” Pirro told CNN’s Jake Tapper on _State of the Union_.

The threat comes as Kevin Warsh, Powell’s likely replacement, cleared the Senate Banking Committee.

Powell’s term as president ends May 15, but he has vowed to remain governor until the criminal investigation concludes.

The Justice Department first opened the case in January.

Powell has been a frequent target of Trump for refusing to cut interest rates.

Trump criticized him on April 29 on Truth Social: “Jerome ‘Too Late’ Powell wants to stay at the Fed because he can’t get a job anywhere else: nobody wants him.”

Republican Senator Thom Tillis delayed the Warsh committee vote for months, calling the Powell investigation “politically motivated” and a threat to the Fed’s independence.

“In the end, no crime was committed and the prosecutors I spoke to all agreed,” Tillis said Sunday. “This is what I was fighting against, not a single prosecution, but a prosecution that would undermine the independence of the Fed.”

Tillis has supported ending the investigation and says he believes Warsh will “maintain some independence from the Trump administration.”

Pirro suspended his investigation last week, saying the Fed inspector general will now investigate Powell. But she doesn’t go away: “We will not hesitate to restart a criminal investigation if the facts justify it.”

Contestation of the cruel fight in the ring between Portable and Carter Efe, by Tony Erha

His office also plans to appeal a judge’s decision that quashed his subpoenas, calling it “extremely important to us as prosecutors, the precedent that it sets to prevent us from going before a grand jury.”

Powell told senators last year that the Fed doesn’t “take into account political factors” on rates. Now, with Warsh awaiting full Senate confirmation and Trump’s attacks intensifying, central bank independence is back in the crosshairs. [Adapted CNN report]

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