U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro claimed Monday night that a federal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell would not have escalated if he communicated with her office when they reached out. 

Powell revealed the investigation over the weekend, stating that the Justice Department delivered grand jury subpoenas to the Fed late last week regarding his testimony before the Senate Banking Committee last June.

The probe is at least partly related to remarks Powell made about a long-running effort to renovate historic Federal Reserve buildings and the costs associated with it, though the chairman claimed it should be viewed against the backdrop of escalating political tensions between the central bank and the White House.

Pirro said her office contacted the Fed multiple times to discuss the renovation costs and Powell's testimony, but were ignored, which prompted legal action. 

"None of this would have happened if they had just responded to our outreach," Pirro insisted in a post on X. "This office makes decisions based on the merits, nothing more and nothing less.

“We agree with the chairman of the Federal Reserve that no one is above the law," she continued. "That is why we expect his full cooperation.”

The Justice Department's probe has prompted backlash from Congressional Republicans, who have criticized the administration for allegedly attempting to thwart the Fed’s independence. Alaska GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski has called for a congressional investigation into the probe.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.