WASHINGTON — Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) referred embattled Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for prosecution Monday after he allegedly lied to Congress about $2.5 billion in renovations for a new HQ rivaling the “Palace of Versailles” in its opulence.
Powell, 72, denied that the lavish upgrades — including a VIP dining room and roof terrace gardens — were being made to the Fed’s headquarters on the National Mall and said the facility “really needed a serious renovation” since it “had never had one.”
Both those statements are false, according to a criminal referral that Luna passed along to the Department of Justice on Saturday.
“According to the Federal Reserve’s final submission to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), nearly all of those assertions— excluding the beehives—are contradicted by the actual project plans,” she wrote.
“The Federal Reserve Board conducted a comprehensive renovation of the Eccles Building from 1999 to 2003, which included the replacement of the roof, all major systems, and a full refurbishing of interior and courtyard spaces,” Luna added.
As recently as last week, President Trump was considering firing Powell, but later told reporters it was “highly unlikely” he would do so.
The 47th president has harshly criticized the Fed chair’s resistance to cutting rates amid the administration’s global tariffs regime, which economists have warned could hike inflation.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett, and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh have all been floated as potential successors to Powell.
Veteran trial attorneys often claim perjury is one of the most difficult federal crimes to prove in court — but Luna said Powell’s were not “minor misstatements.”
“Chairman Powell knowingly misled both Congress and executive branch officials about the true nature of a taxpayer-funded project,” she said in a statement.
“Lying under oath is a serious offense— especially from someone tasked with overseeing our monetary system and public trust.”
The Post reached out to reps for the DOJ for comment.
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