Pirro Drops Appeal Plan in Fed Investigation, Leaving Powell in Limbo

CNBC reported Monday that U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro has filed a motion asking a federal judge to vacate earlier rulings that blocked her Powell Fed probe. The move effectively shelves her often-stated intention to pursue a higher-court appeal.

What Pirro’s Motion Actually Does

Rather than escalating the case, Pirro is asking Chief Judge James Boasberg to wipe his own prior decisions from the record. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Murphy told CNBC the tactic is unusual in this context. “A motion to vacate is essentially asking the judge to just pretend something never happened,” Murphy said. He added that Pirro likely lacks standing to erase a government loss in this particular proceeding. Boasberg has not yet ruled on the new filing.

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Background: Why the Subpoenas Were Blocked

The underlying investigation centers on alleged cost overruns in the Federal Reserve’s ongoing building renovation program and related congressional testimony by Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Boasberg quashed Pirro’s subpoenas in March, ruling her office had provided no concrete evidence of wrongdoing. He found, instead, substantial indications that the probe was designed to pressure Powell into cutting interest rates faster, in line with demands from President Donald Trump. Boasberg upheld that decision in April. Pirro had argued the ruling broadly hampered her ability to conduct grand jury investigations.

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Powell Stays Put, but Uncertainty Lingers

Powell’s term as Fed chair expires later this month. He has said publicly he will remain on the Fed’s Board of Governors until he is satisfied the legal threat against the institution has genuinely passed. Pirro’s reversal does not provide that assurance. She has reserved the right to reopen the investigation and is awaiting findings from Fed Inspector General Michael Horowitz. Crucially, she declined to commit to closing the case even if Horowitz finds no criminal wrongdoing. Normal DOJ protocol requires senior approval before filing appeals, given the precedent risk. Whether Pirro ever secured that clearance remains unclear. The Federal Reserve declined to comment on the latest developments.

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