Will Justice Dept reopen its case against Fed Chair Powell within a week after Senate confirms Warsh?
74% of users predicted NO — the community got this one right. 35 predictions cast.
The Justice Department did not reopen its investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell in the week following the Senate's confirmation of Kevin Warsh on May 13, 2026. The DOJ had closed the original inquiry on April 24, when U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced the office would drop its criminal probe of Powell over alleged cost overruns in the renovation of the Federal Reserve's Washington, D.C. headquarters. At that time, Pirro indicated the Federal Reserve's inspector general had been asked to continue the inquiry in its place.
The closure of the probe had removed a key obstacle to Warsh's confirmation: Senator Thom Tillis had signaled he would block a full Senate floor vote unless the Powell investigation was resolved. Following the DOJ's withdrawal from the case, Warsh cleared the Senate Banking Committee and was confirmed 54-45 on May 13.
No public action to reinstate or reopen the case against Powell was taken in the days after Warsh's confirmation. The community assigned a 26% probability that the DOJ would reopen the inquiry; the investigation remained closed, consistent with that minority position.