DOJ Declines to Reinvestigate Powell; Hochul Calls for Justice

WHO:

Alternet - Trump stated, "If he doesn’t resign, he should be sued, at the highest level, by the United States Government, for either corruption or incompetence, both of which are completely unacceptable."

CBS News - Letitia James has been appointed as the special prosecutor to investigate how Powell was denied justice.

Politico - The Department of Justice (DOJ) will not reopen the criminal investigation into Powell.

CBS News - New York Governor Kathy Hochul is involved in the investigation regarding Powell.

WHAT:

Alternet - The Federal Reserve's Office of Inspector General released a report that found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Powell related to a $2.4 billion building renovation project, identifying a series of missteps but no malice.

Alternet - Blanche stated that Powell "did not act appropriately as far as oversight," but clarified that these failures do not equate to criminal conduct, saying, "Making mistakes and not having any sort of oversight over the folks doing billion-dollar projects isn't necessarily a crime."

Alternet - The DOJ confirmed it will not reopen the criminal investigation into Powell, stating, "We’re not reopening a criminal investigation into him," according to spokesperson Blanche.

Alternet - The Federal Reserve's Office of Inspector General released a report that found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Powell related to a $2.4 billion building renovation project.

Alternet - Trump called for Powell to resign or face legal action, stating, "If he doesn’t resign, he should be sued, at the highest level, by the United States Government, for either corruption or incompetence, both of which are completely unacceptable."

Politico - The DOJ's decision not to reinvestigate Powell was confirmed by a spokesperson, Blanche.

CBS News - Hochul stated that special prosecutor Letitia James will investigate how Powell was denied justice.

WHERE:

CBS News - The investigation is taking place in New York.

WHEN:

Alternet - Powell's term as chair expired in May, but he decided to remain as a governor until the criminal investigation was "well and truly over, with transparency and finality."

WHY:

CBS News - Hochul's comments suggest a concern for justice regarding Powell's case.

HOW:

Alternet - Blanche stated, "Making mistakes and not having any sort of oversight over the folks doing billion-dollar projects isn't necessarily a crime."

CBS News - Letitia James has been appointed as the special prosecutor to conduct the investigation into Powell's case.

(UPDATED October 4, 2026 08:55 UTC)

Trump has called for the United States Government to sue Jerome Powell if he does not resign, citing concerns over corruption or incompetence. Meanwhile, a report from the Federal Reserve's Office of Inspector General found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Powell regarding a $2.4 billion building renovation project, although it did highlight several missteps in oversight. While acknowledging that Powell "did not act appropriately," Inspector General Blanche emphasized that these errors do not amount to criminal conduct, stating that mistakes in oversight on such large projects are not necessarily a crime.

(UPDATED October 4, 2026 06:42 UTC)

Letitia James has been appointed as the special prosecutor to investigate how Powell was denied justice. A report from the Federal Reserve's Office of Inspector General found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Powell in connection with a $2.4 billion building renovation project, although it did identify a series of missteps without malice. Blanche noted that while Powell "did not act appropriately as far as oversight," these failures do not amount to criminal conduct, emphasizing that mistakes in managing billion-dollar projects aren't necessarily a crime.

(UPDATED October 4, 2026 02:02 UTC)

Trump has called for legal action against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, stating that if Powell doesn’t resign, he should be sued by the U.S. government for corruption or incompetence. Meanwhile, a report from the Federal Reserve's Office of Inspector General found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Powell regarding a $2.4 billion building renovation project, although it did highlight a series of missteps. In response, Blanche noted that while mistakes were made, a lack of oversight on billion-dollar projects doesn't equate to criminal behavior.

(UPDATED October 3, 2026 19:49 UTC)

The Department of Justice has confirmed it will not reopen the criminal investigation into Powell, with spokesperson Blanche stating, "We’re not reopening a criminal investigation into him." A report from the Federal Reserve's Office of Inspector General found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Powell regarding a $2.4 billion building renovation project, although Blanche noted that Powell "did not act appropriately as far as oversight." Meanwhile, Trump has called for Powell to resign or face legal action, insisting that if he doesn’t step down, he should be sued by the United States Government for either corruption or incompetence, both of which he described as completely unacceptable.

(UPDATED October 3, 2026 18:40 UTC)

The Department of Justice has decided not to reopen the criminal investigation into Powell, a decision confirmed by spokesperson Blanche. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is involved in the matter, expressing concerns for justice and announcing that special prosecutor Letitia James will investigate how Powell was denied justice. This investigation is currently taking place in New York, focusing on the circumstances surrounding Powell's case.