Trump Administration Threatens Criminal Charges Against Federal Reserve Chair Powell

TLDR

• The Department of Justice issued grand jury subpoenas to the Federal Reserve on Friday, threatening criminal charges against Chair Jerome Powell related to his June 2025 Senate testimony
• Powell claims the subpoenas are not about his testimony or Fed headquarters renovation but are an attempt to pressure the Fed on interest rates
• President Trump has criticized Powell over both interest rates and cost overruns on the Fed’s headquarters renovation project, which has risen to $2.5 billion
• Trump told NBC News he knew nothing about the DOJ probe and denied the action relates to interest rate policy
• Republican Senator Thom Tillis said he will oppose confirmation of any Fed nominee until the legal matter is resolved

The Department of Justice served the Federal Reserve with grand jury subpoenas on Friday. The subpoenas threaten criminal indictment against Chair Jerome Powell related to his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee in June 2025.

Powell released a video statement Sunday evening addressing the subpoenas. He called the action unprecedented and said it should be viewed in the context of ongoing administration pressure on the central bank.

The Fed chair said the subpoenas are not actually about his testimony or the headquarters renovation project. He described those issues as pretexts for the real motivation.

President Trump has repeatedly criticized Powell for not cutting interest rates faster. The Fed held rates steady through most of 2025, then implemented quarter-point cuts in September, October and December.

The current rate range stands at 3.5% to 3.75%. Trump has stated publicly that rates are far too high.

Renovation Project Dispute

The subpoenas reference Powell’s June testimony about the Fed’s headquarters renovation project. Trump and administration officials have characterized the project as evidence of mismanagement by Powell.

Trump visited the Fed headquarters in July 2025 and toured the construction site with Powell. During that visit, Trump claimed the project cost had increased to $3.1 billion, which Powell disputed.

The Fed says the renovation was approved in 2017 to modernize aging buildings and address deferred infrastructure and safety issues. The project cost has risen from roughly $1.9 billion to about $2.5 billion.

Fed officials attribute the cost increase to higher labor and material costs, changes after consultations with review agencies, and complications like asbestos and soil issues. The central bank has noted the project is funded through its own budget, not taxpayer dollars.

During his June testimony, Powell told lawmakers that media reports about the renovations were misleading and inaccurate. He disputed claims of “special elevators,” water features, or rooftop gardens.

Legal and Political Implications

Carl Tobias, a constitutional law professor at the University of Richmond, said grand jury subpoenas mark an escalation from earlier civil litigation threats. Subpoenas are typically the first step in a criminal investigation.

Tobias said it remains unclear what criminal theory prosecutors could pursue. Inaccurate or disputed testimony about a complex renovation would ordinarily be handled through congressional oversight, not criminal prosecution.

The process would be unlikely to reach a meaningful stage before Powell’s term as chair ends in May. Any case would need to clear a grand jury and proceed through federal district court.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis wrote on X Sunday evening that the subpoenas call into question the independence and credibility of the Justice Department. Tillis, a member of the Senate Banking Committee, said he will oppose confirmation of any Fed nominee until the matter is resolved.

Market futures declined Sunday evening following the news. S&P 500 futures fell 0.4%, Dow Jones futures dropped 0.4%, and Nasdaq futures declined 0.7%.

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