Jerome Powell

The Hill - White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday sought to signal that the legal pressure was not off Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, despite the Justice Department dropping its investigation into his handling of renovations at the central bank.

Leavitt said “the case is not necessarily dropped,” pointing to a statement released by Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, earlier in the day.

“It’s just being moved over to the Inspector General who has critical tools at their disposal to continue to look into the financial mismanagement at the Fed,” Leavitt said. “It’s just under a different authority, and that’s what you’ll continue to see.”

Leavitt’s comments came hours after Pirro announced the Justice Department closed its investigation, which had been holding up the confirmation of President Trump’s nominee to replace Powell.

Wall Street Journal - The Justice Department said it would end its criminal investigation of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, an attempt to clear the obstacle that has stalled Kevin Warsh’s confirmation as his successor. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said, if warranted, she would reopen the probe, which concerns Powell’s congressional testimony about the renovation of central-bank buildings. The Fed declined immediate comment.