Trending Now - DOJ Officials Denied Access During Fed Construction Inquiry

WHO:

ABC News - U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, Robert Hur (attorney for Powell), Trump, and attorneys Carlton Davis and Steven Vandervelden.

WHAT:

ABC News - DOJ prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office in Washington were turned away after attempting an unannounced visit to the Federal Reserve.

ABC News - The DOJ's criminal probe into the Federal Reserve's renovation project was deemed politically motivated by a federal judge.

ABC News - Trump threatened to fire Powell if he does not resign by May 15th, stating, "I'll have to fire him, OK, if he's not leaving on time."

ABC News - Pirro stated that the construction project had cost overruns of almost 80% over the original budget and warranted serious review.

WHERE:

ABC News - The visit occurred at the Federal Reserve's headquarters.

WHEN:

ABC News - The DOJ prosecutors were turned away on Tuesday, April 12th, 2026.

ABC News - Trump made his comments regarding Powell on Wednesday, April 13th, 2026.

ABC News - Powell's term as chair ends on May 15th, 2026.

WHY:

ABC News - The DOJ's interest in the Federal Reserve's renovation project was described as pretextual by Chief Judge James Boasberg.

ABC News - Pirro claimed the focus of her probe was whether public money had been wasted due to the Fed's renovations and potential false statements made by Powell to Congress.

HOW:

ABC News - The DOJ prosecutors requested a tour of the renovations but were informed they needed preauthorized clearance from Fed management.

(UPDATED April 15, 2026 19:21 UTC)

On Tuesday, DOJ prosecutors were turned away after attempting an unannounced visit to the Federal Reserve's headquarters, where they sought a tour of the ongoing renovation project that has faced scrutiny for significant cost overruns. Following this incident, Trump threatened to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell if he does not resign by May 15th, stating that he would have to take action if Powell did not leave on time. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro has raised concerns about potential waste of public funds and false statements made by Powell to Congress, with a federal judge describing the DOJ's interest in the renovation as politically motivated.