Federal prosecutors made a surprise visit Tuesday to the construction site of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters renovation project.
Workers at the site refused to admit them, saying they did not have clearance in advance of the visit, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The $2.5 billion project has been under review by the administration, and the prosecutors came from the office of U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
“Any construction project that has cost overruns of almost 80 percent over the original construction budget deserves some serious review,” Pirro said in a statement.
“And these people are in charge of monetary policy in the United States?” she asked.
Robert Hur, an attorney representing the Fed, said prosecutors Carlton Davis and Steven Vandervelden appeared “without prior notice” and sought a tour to check the work’s progress.
President Donald Trump has praised Pirro “for having the courage” to investigate the Fed.
As noted by ABC News, Trump has continually pushed for lower interest rates and also sparred with Fed Chair Jerome Powell about the cost of the $2.5 billion building project.
On Wednesday, Trump said he would fire Powell due to the economist’s “incompetence” if Powell does not leave when his term ends in May.
Trump has nominated former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh to replace Powell, according to Fox Business.
“I’ve held back firing him. I’ve wanted to fire him, but I hate to be controversial, you know?” he said in a Fox Business interview.
Trump said the renovation project involved a “building that I would have done for $25 million that’s going to cost maybe $4 billion.”
“Don’t you think we have to find out what happened there?” he asked.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina has threatened to oppose Warsh’s confirmation.
When asked about Warsh’s chances, he said, “We’re going to have to find out [if he will be confirmed]. He might not, but that’s why Thom Tillis is no longer a senator.”
Tillis is not seeking re-election.
“He’s on his way out… and I think he doesn’t want the legacy of stopping a great person who could be great… I know he said what he said, and maybe it’s true, in which case I’ll have to live with it,” Trump said.
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