Judge blocks Justice Department from subpoenaing Fed chair Jerome Powell
Mar 13th 2026
A federal judge barred the Justice Department from subpoenaing Fed Chair Jerome Powell, finding the probe appears aimed at pressuring him to cut rates rather than uncovering criminal conduct.
- Judge James Boasberg blocked the Justice Department from serving subpoenas to Fed Chair Jerome Powell in an inquiry tied to the central bank renovation.
- The court said a mountain of evidence indicates the investigation aimed to pressure Powell to lower interest rates or resign.
- Boasberg wrote the government produced essentially zero evidence of criminal conduct and called its justifications pretextual.
- Powell has called the probe a threat to Fed independence and linked it to President Trump’s efforts to push for lower rates.
- Senator Tom Tillis warned an appeal could delay confirmation of Kevin Warsh as the next Fed chair, while a separate Supreme Court case involving Fed governor Lisa Cook is expected by June.
Articles
- Judge blocks subpoenas against Fed Chair Jerome Powell www.nbcnews.com
- Judge blocks justice department from subpoenaing Fed chair Jerome Powell www.theguardian.com
- US judge nixes two subpoenas against Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell www.aljazeera.com
- US judge quashes subpoenas in Justice Department's probe of Fed chair Powell www.france24.com