U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., is referring Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to the Department of Justice for criminal charges, accusing him of perjury.
Luna is accusing Powell of perjury on two occasions related to the renovations of the central bank’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., according to a July 19 letter to the DOJ first obtained by Fox News Digital.
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Trump deflects reports on firing Fed Chair Powell ‘soon’
It comes as Luna and other conservative Trump allies continue to demand that Powell, a Trump appointee himself, be fired before his term expires in May 2026.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell Powell has repeatedly defended the renovation work on the Federal Reserve’s Eccles Building as transparent and necessary for the safety and health of Fed employees and visitors. Shown here on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Image source: Tom Williams/Getty Images
Renovations latest round in the Trump-Powell flap
President Trump has been berating Powell for months for not lowering interest rates this year via the Fed’s Federal Open Meeting Committee.
Powell, one of 12 members of the monetary policy panel, has said the Fed’s “wait-and-see” approach to rate cuts is linked to the possible inflationary impact of Trump’s tariffs and trade wars.
Trump had threatened to fire Powell, but a May ruling by the Supreme Court strongly indicated the president did not have the authority to dismiss or DOGE the head of the independent central bank.
However, some Trump allies floated the idea that Powell could be fired for cause, which is when the spotlight turned to the renovations of the Eccles Building, which was constructed in 1932 and has had very few updates done since.
Luna’s letter claimed Powell misrepresented the truth about the cost of the renovations.
“On June 25, 2025, Chairman Powell provided testimony under oath before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs regarding the renovation of the Federal Reserve’s Eccles Building. In his statements, he made several materially false claims,” Luna’s letter said.
Luna accuses Powell of lying about renovation costs
Specifically, she accused him of lying about lavish and posh amenities and misrepresenting its state of maintenance.
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“Separately, in a letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Russell Vought, Chairman Powell characterized the changes that escalated the cost of the project from $1.9 billion to $2.5 billion as minor.
“However, documents reviewed by congressional investigators indicate that the scope and cost overruns of this project were neither minor in nature nor in substance,” Luna wrote.
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In her letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, Luna claimed Powell’s statement that the cost increase was to simplify construction and avoid further delays was false.
“It is contradicted by the Federal Reserve’s final submission to the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and by the assertions made in Director Vought’s own original letter to Chairman Powell,” Luna wrote.
Powell has repeatedly defended the renovation work as transparent and necessary for the safety and health of Federal Reserve employees and visitors.
“These are not minor misstatements,” Luna said. “Chairman Powell knowingly misled both Congress and executive branch officials about the true nature of a taxpayer-funded project.
“Lying under oath is a serious offense— especially from someone tasked with overseeing our monetary system and public trust.”
The referral cites potential violations of:
• 18 U.S.C. § 1621 (Perjury)
• 18 U.S.C. § 1001 (False Statements)
Luna is calling on the Department of Justice to confirm receipt of the referral and to open a formal investigation into whether Powell’s actions meet the statutory thresholds for criminal prosecution.
“The American people deserve transparency — not deception — especially when billions of dollars and institutional integrity are at stake,” Luna wrote.
On July 21, the Fed released a one-minute video showing workmen in hard hats and safety vests surrounded by rotted-out walls, sheets and sheets of raw plywood, heavy construction equipment, and other professional tools covering the site.
“We have taken great care to ensure the project is carefully overseen since it was first approved by the Board in 2917,’’ Powell has said. He has also stated he will not resign before his term as chair expires.
Luna has served as the representative of Florida’s 13th congressional district since 2023.
Related: JPMorgan drops blunt forecast on future interest rate cuts