Judge Boasberg quashes DOJ subpoenas in criminal probe of Fed Chair Powell

Chief Judge James Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for D.C. quashed DOJ grand jury subpoenas targeting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on March 19, 2026. Boasberg ruled the government had offered no evidence Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the president, and found the probe was designed to pressure Powell to cut interest rates or resign. The DOJ had opened the criminal investigation in January 2026 focused on alleged false statements to Congress about Fed headquarters renovation cost overruns.