Pirro abandons plan to appeal Powell subpoenas in Fed investigation

Last edited Mon May 4, 2026, 03:33 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: CNBC

Published Sun, May 3 2026 11:59 AM EDT Updated 23 Min Ago


U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro on Monday asked a federal judge to vacate his decisions blocking aspects of her criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve under Chair Jerome Powell.

Pirro’s motion effectively walks back an often-repeated plan to appeal the judge’s rulings to a higher court. Still, it is unlikely to provide Powell the certainty he wants that the legal threat against him and the Fed have dissipated. He has said he will remain on the Fed’s board indefinitely after his term as chair expires later this month.

Pirro has been investigating cost overruns in the Fed’s ongoing building renovations and related testimony to Congress by Powell. Chief Judge James Boasberg of the District of Columbia in March quashed Pirro’s subpoenas to the Fed saying she hadn’t provided evidence of wrongdoing sufficient to counter the appearance that President Donald Trump wanted to put political pressure on Powell to cut interest rates. He upheld that ruling in April.

Pirro had argued that the judge’s decision made it difficult for her to conduct grand jury investigations in general. Her appeal was due by Monday. “We continue to litigate Judge Boasberg’s illegal quashing of our subpoenas in order that it no longer stand and to prevent it from spawning any legal consequences,” Pirro said in a statement to CNBC. The Fed declined to comment.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/03/pirro-fed-powell.html