On April 14, 2026, three people from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro’s office walked up to the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation site in Washington, D.C., without any prior notice, without an appointment, and without a warrant. Two were assistant U.S. attorneys. The third was Matthew Fox-Moles, an investigator assigned to Pirro’s special prosecutions team. They spoke with construction workers on site. They asked for a “tour.” They said they wanted to “check on the progress” of the renovation. They were told they could not access the site without prior clearance and were handed the contact information for the Fed’s legal team. Then they left.
This is what an intimidation campaign looks like when the people running it don’t have the legal authority to do what they actually want to do.
Who visited: Two assistant U.S. attorneys from Pirro’s office + investigator Matthew Fox-Moles (special prosecutions team)
Where: Federal Reserve headquarters renovation site, Washington, D.C.
Prior notice given: None
Warrant or subpoena: None
What they asked for: A “tour” to “check on the progress” of renovations
Outcome: Denied access, given Fed legal team contact information
Fed’s outside counsel: Robert Hur — sent a letter objecting to the visit
First reported by: The Wall Street Journal
A Judge Already Said This Investigation Is Pretextual
This is the part Pirro’s office is hoping people forget. Chief Judge James Boasberg of the D.C. federal court has already ruled on this investigation. He concluded that Pirro’s interest in the Fed’s renovation project was pretextual — meaning the renovation is the excuse, not the reason. The actual purpose of the investigation, as Jerome Powell himself disclosed in January, is to pressure the Federal Reserve into cutting interest rates. Boasberg quashed the grand jury subpoenas Pirro issued to the Fed.
Robert Hur — the Fed’s outside legal counsel, and the same man who served as special counsel investigating Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents — wrote a letter to Pirro’s office after the surprise visit. The letter, reviewed by CBS News and Bloomberg, was direct:
“As you know, Chief Judge Boasberg has concluded that your interest in the Federal Reserve’s renovation project was pretextual. Should you wish to challenge that finding, the courts provide an avenue for you; it is not appropriate for you to try to circumvent it.”
— Robert Hur, letter to Pirro’s office, April 14, 2026
Hur also asked Pirro’s office to commit to not communicating with the Fed outside the presence of counsel. He was telling federal prosecutors, in writing, to stop showing up unannounced and talking to people at the Fed without a lawyer present. That is not a normal thing a lawyer for the Federal Reserve should have to say to the Department of Justice.
Pirro’s Response Was Exactly What You’d Expect
When asked about the visit, Pirro issued a statement: “Any construction project that has cost overruns of almost 80% over the original construction budget deserves some serious review. And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?”
Read that again. A federal judge ruled her investigation was pretextual. Her subpoenas were quashed. Her prosecutors just got turned away at the door. And her response is to question whether the Federal Reserve — the institution that manages U.S. monetary policy for 330 million people — is competent, because a building renovation went over budget. This is a Fox News segment disguised as law enforcement. It always has been.
The Bigger Picture: What They Can’t Do Legally, They’re Trying to Do Physically
Pirro’s office opened this investigation in November 2025, ostensibly over the $2.5 billion headquarters renovation that Trump claims should have cost $25 million. They issued two grand jury subpoenas to the Fed. The Fed didn’t comply. Pirro held a press conference calling it obstruction. A judge looked at the evidence and said the investigation was pretextual. The subpoenas were quashed. The legal avenue was shut down.
So now they’re trying door-to-door. Three officials from Pirro’s office showed up on a construction site to talk to workers and ask for a tour of a building they have no legal right to inspect. This isn’t an investigation. It’s harassment with a badge. It’s the legal equivalent of looking through someone’s windows after a judge told you to stay away.
The purpose has never been the renovation. The purpose is to make Jerome Powell’s life miserable until he either cuts rates or leaves the Board of Governors. Trump said as much on Fox Business the very next day: “Then I’ll have to fire him. I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial, you know?”
Senator Thom Tillis — a Republican — is blocking Kevin Warsh’s confirmation as the next Fed chair until the DOJ drops this investigation. Tillis said on Face the Nation: “Protecting the independence of the Federal Reserve from political interference or legal intimidation is non-negotiable.”
And yet here are three people from Pirro’s office, standing on a construction site they weren’t invited to, asking for a tour they don’t have the right to take, of a building they’re investigating on a pretext a judge already identified and rejected. The investigation is dead in court. But the intimidation is alive and well on the sidewalk outside the Federal Reserve.
Sources
- CBS News: Two prosecutors and an investigator from Pirro’s office visited Fed headquarters renovation site unannounced, April 14, 2026; denied access; spoke to construction workers; asked for “tour”; Matthew Fox-Moles identified as investigator on special prosecutions team; Hur letter: “As you know, Chief Judge Boasberg has concluded that your interest in the Federal Reserve’s renovation project was pretextual.”
- Reuters (via Investing.com): Visit confirmed by Pirro’s office spokesperson; first reported by Wall Street Journal; two deputies advised they could not access site without prior clearance; Robert Hur objected in letter; prosecutors said they wanted to “check on the progress.” April 14, 2026.
- Bloomberg Government: Three DOJ officials attempted to enter construction site; denied on basis of safety and clearance protocols; Hur letter reviewed by Bloomberg: “I ask that you commit not to seek to communicate with my client outside the presence of counsel”; Pirro statement: “Any construction project that has cost overruns of almost 80% over the original construction budget deserves some serious review. And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?” April 15, 2026.
- Newsmax: Prosecutors made surprise visit; denied access; Hur objected in letter; ongoing pressure campaign against the central bank. April 14, 2026.
- Fox Business: Background on investigation — opened November 2025; renovation cost $2.5 billion; Pirro said Fed “ignored” outreach; Rep. Luna referred matter to DOJ in July 2025.
- EOH: Trump Says He’ll Fire Powell From the Fed Board Entirely.
- EOH: Pirro’s Gun Cases Are Collapsing. DC Prosecutors Have Been Gutted.