Federal prosecutors made an unannounced visit this week to a construction site at #FederalReserve HQ that is the focus of an investigation into a $2.5B renovation project, acc/to 2 people….

2 prosecutors & an investigator from #Trump lackey & #USAttorney #JeaninePirro’s office were turned away on Tuesday by a building contractor & referred to Fed attorneys, one of the people said.

#law #economy #independence #RevengePolitics #AbuseOfPower #authoritarianism #USpol
https://apnews.com/article/federal-reserve-jerome-powell-trump-16f1777a974cf0dece60d78abe4eb973

Prosecutors try to access Fed building as Trump threatens to fire Powell after his chair term ends

Federal prosecutors made an unannounced visit this week to a construction site at Federal Reserve headquarters that is the focus of an investigation into a $2.5 billion renovation project, according to two people familiar with the visit. Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office were turned away on Tuesday by a building contractor and referred to Fed attorneys, one of the people said. The two people familiar with the visit spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss an ongoing investigation.

AP News

Last month, during a closed-door hearing before a federal judge, a top deputy from #JeaninePirro’s office conceded that they had NOT found any evidence of a crime in their investigation of the #FederalReserve HQ project.

The investigation has faced bipartisan opposition in #Congress. It also has delayed #Senate consideration of Kevin Warsh, #Trump’s pick to replace Fed chair #JeromePowell when his term ends May 15.

#law #economy #independence #RevengePolitics #AbuseOfPower #authoritarianism

#Trump has again threatened to fire #JeromePowell if the #FederalReserve Chair decides to stay on the central bank’s governing board after his term as chair expires next month.

“Well then I’ll have to fire him, OK?” Trump told Fox Business…when reminded that Powell has said he won’t leave the Fed during the #DOJ investigation.

[reminder #SCOTUS ruled Trump could not fire Fed governor #LisaCook]

#law #economy #independence #RevengePolitics #AbuseOfPower #authoritarianism #USpol

#JeromePowell has said the investigation is a pretext to undermine the Fed’s #independence to set rates. A federal prosecutor last month admitted that the investigation into the renovations had turned up NO evidence of a crime.

…Sen #ThomTillis, a North Carolina #Republican, has said he won’t vote to confirm any Fed nominees until the investigation is dropped.

#law #economy #FederalReserve #Trump #RevengePolitics #AbuseOfPower #authoritarianism #USpol