Prosecutors Open Criminal Probe Into Fed’s Powell, NYT Says (1)

Jan. 12, 2026, 12:24 AM UTC

Federal prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over the central bank’s renovation of its Washington, DC, headquarters, the New York Times reported, citing officials briefed on the situation.

The US attorney’s office in the District of Columbia is investigating whether Powell lied to Congress about the scope of the renovations, the paper said, adding that Jeanine Pirro — who was appointed to run the office last year by President Donald Trump — approved the inquiry in November.

Prosecutors have contacted Powell’s staff to seek documents but it was not yet clear whether a ...

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