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A United States federal judge has once again batted down a pair of subpoenas from the administration of President Donald Trump seeking information about Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve, the country\u2019s central bank.<\/p>\n
In a brief, six-page opinion<\/a> published on Friday, Judge James Boasberg rejected the Department of Justice\u2019s motion to reconsider his earlier ruling rejecting the subpoenas.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n \u201cThe Government\u2019s arguments do not come close to convincing the Court that a different outcome is warranted,\u201d Boasberg wrote.<\/p>\n On March 13, Boasberg, a judge for the federal court in the District of Columbia, nullified the subpoenas on the basis that they were issued for an \u201cimproper purpose\u201d: to pressure Powell into compliance with the president\u2019s demands.<\/p>\n Trump and Powell \u2014 an appointee from the president\u2019s first term \u2014 have been at loggerheads since the Republican leader returned to the White House in January 2025.<\/p>\n Although the Federal Reserve is an independent government agency, not subject to political demands, Trump has repeatedly called on the bank to slash interest rates, and he has denounced Powell as \u201cincompetent\u201d, \u201ccrooked\u201d and a \u201cfool\u201d for not following suit.<\/p>\n For months, pressure had been building from the Trump White House to investigate Powell and push him prematurely from his job as Federal Reserve chair. Powell\u2019s term is slated to expire in May.<\/p>\n Much of the Trump administration\u2019s focus has fallen on renovations to the Federal Reserve\u2019s historic 1930s buildings in Washington, DC, which have gone over budget.<\/p>\n The administration has pointed to the cost overruns as evidence of malfeasance.<\/p>\n Last July, for instance, Trump appointee William Pulte called<\/a> on Congress to investigate Powell for \u201cpolitical bias\u201d and \u201cdeceptive\u201d testimony related to the renovation project.<\/p>\n The following month, Trump posted<\/a> on his platform Truth Social that he was considering \u201ca major lawsuit against Powell\u201d in response to \u201chorrible, and grossly incompetent\u201d work on the renovations.<\/p>\nRecommended Stories <\/h2>\n