WASHINGTON, D.C. — Two prosecutors and an investigator from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's office arrived unannounced at the Federal Reserve's Washington, D.C., headquarters on Tuesday and attempted to access the building's ongoing renovation site. The three were denied entry and were given contact information for the Federal Reserve's legal team.

Prosecutors Carlton Davis and Steven Vandervelden, along with investigator Matthew Fox-Moles, who is assigned to a special prosecutions team in Pirro's office, told staff they wanted to check on the progress of the renovations and asked for a tour of the site, according to a letter from the Fed's outside legal counsel. The renovation project, which has cost about $2.5 billion so far, is the subject of a months-long active criminal investigation opened by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington in November, according to court filings. No criminal charges have resulted from the investigation.

Robert Hur, outside legal counsel for the Federal Reserve, wrote that the prosecutors appeared without prior notice on Tuesday. "As you know, Chief Judge Boasberg has concluded that your interest in the Federal Reserve's renovation project was pretextual," Hur wrote in the letter. "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," he added.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has said the Fed received grand jury subpoenas from the Justice Department as part of a criminal investigation into him. Powell said the subpoenas threatened a criminal indictment related to his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee in June 2025. He argued that the investigation was part of an effort to intimidate the Federal Reserve.

Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia quashed the pair of subpoenas in March. "These subpoenas are mere pretexts," Boasberg wrote in his ruling. "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. On the other side of the scale, the Government has offered no evidence whatsoever that Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the President," he wrote. The Justice Department asked him to reconsider, but he denied the request earlier this month.

Pirro defended the investigation. "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?" she said.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said he will not vote to advance President Donald Trump's nominee for Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, until the Justice Department's investigation ends. A spokesperson for the Federal Reserve declined to comment.