Jeanine Pirro livid as judge blocks Jerome Powell subpoenas says he’s 'bathed in immunity' now

WASHINGTON, DC: Federal judge James Boasberg has blocked subpoenas issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in an investigation involving Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday, March 13.

The decision sparked sharp criticism from US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, who argued that the ruling interferes with a legitimate probe. The dispute centers on an investigation into Powell’s role in a costly renovation project at the Federal Reserve’s headquarters.

Jeanine Pirro blasts judge’s ruling on Jerome Powell subpoenas

Following the decision, Pirro strongly criticized the judge’s ruling, calling it an example of an “activist judge who has taken that tool away from us.” She further said, "By inserting himself and preventing the grand jury from even obtaining, let alone hearing evidence, he has neutered the grand jury's ability to investigate crime."

Pirro continued, "As a result, Jerome Powell today is now bathed in immunity, preventing my office from investigating the Federal Reserve. This is wrong, and it is without legal authority." She then referenced testimony given by Powell before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in June 2025, arguing that his remarks raised serious concerns.

Pirro said Powell made “questionable statements that did not comport with publicly available documents. And that was regarding the atrocious cost overrun of more than $1 billion – I didn't say million, I said billion – in renovations to his headquarters. This from the man who says that he is the steward of our public funds.”

Pirro also argued that the grand jury subpoenas issued in the investigation were directed to the Federal Reserve as an institution rather than personally to Powell, and said authorities received no response or compliance.

She then again criticized the ruling by Boasberg, “Written decision on its face makes clear his antipathy toward President Trump and this administration. He quashes both subpoenas, thereby prohibiting us from reviewing any records and precluding us from submitting records to the grand jury. No one is above the law."

Pirro stated, "But for the first time, a judge is ruling that a grand jury subpoena, on its face legal in all regards, can be ignored because a judge thinks the subject is beyond reproach. This is a decision that is untethered to the law."

Judge James Boasberg blocks DOJ subpoenas in Federal Reserve probe

Boasberg ruled that subpoenas issued by the DOJ targeting Powell should be blocked. The subpoenas were connected to a criminal investigation into Powell’s handling of a $2.5 billion renovation of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters.

In his ruling, Boasberg said the government had failed to present meaningful evidence linking

Powell to any criminal conduct. He wrote that the government had “produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime” and described its arguments supporting the subpoenas as “thin and unsubstantiated.”

He said the justifications appeared to serve as a pretext aimed at pressuring Powell to lower interest rates, something Trump has repeatedly demanded.

"There is abundant evidence that the subpoenas' dominant (if not sole) purpose is to harass and pressure Powell either to yield to the President or to resign and make way for a Fed Chair who will," he wrote.

The ruling represents a major setback for the DOJ’s probe into the Federal Reserve leadership. The decision prevents Pirro, who issued the subpoenas, from accessing records from the Federal Reserve connected to the building renovation project.