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U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro<\/a> on Wednesday doubled down on her investigation<\/a> of the Federal Reserve<\/a>, even as the controversial probe endangers the confirmation of Kevin Warsh<\/a>, President Donald Trump<\/a>‘s pick to replace central bank Chairman Jerome Powell<\/a>.<\/p>\n The criminal investigation centers on alleged cost overruns associated with the ongoing renovations of two historic Fed buildings<\/a> in Washington. Powell has accused the Department of Justice<\/a> of targeting him for refusing to obey Trump’s demand that the Fed sharply lower interest rates<\/a>.<\/p>\n The probe has raised concerns about the Fed’s independence from executive-branch interference \u2014 so much so that Sen. Thom Tillis<\/a>, R-N.C., has vowed to block Warsh’s nomination until the DOJ drops it.<\/p>\n At a press conference on Wednesday morning, Pirro said she would not back off.<\/p>\n “The cost overruns on that building are well over a billion dollars. This investigation continues,” Pirro said.<\/p>\n “I am in the legal lane. There are others who were in the political lane. I don’t intersect those two lanes,” she said.<\/p>\n PIrro’s efforts hit a major snag<\/a> last month when a federal judge blocked grand jury subpoenas, writing that a “mountain of evidence” suggested they were issued to pressure the Fed’s board.<\/p>\n The judge, James Boasberg, stood by his ruling in early April, starting a countdown clock for Pirro to file an appeal by May 4.<\/p>\n “I am going forward. We are appealing the decision of Judge Boasberg,” Pirro said Wednesday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n “The idea that a judge can stand at the door of a grand jury and tell a prosecutor, ‘You’re not allowed to go in,’ when the United States Supreme Court has said you can go into a grand jury based on rumors and suspicion, is an order that we think must be appealed, and we are continuing in this investigation,” she said.<\/p>\n Trump, who appointed Powell in 2017 but has since soured on the Fed chairman, has said the DOJ probe should continue, while overstating the cost of the Fed renovations.<\/p>\n “We have to find out why a small building cost close to $4 billion,” Trump told CNBC’s “Squawk Box<\/a>” on Tuesday morning. “Somehow we have to find out how this can happen.”\u00a0<\/p>\n The actual cost is roughly $2.5 billion<\/a>.<\/p>\n Boasberg’s April 3 denial<\/a> of\u00a0Pirro’s motion for him to\u00a0reconsider<\/a>\u00a0his initial ruling started a 30-day countdown clock for the government to file a notice of appeal, according to the\u00a0DOJ manual<\/a>.<\/p>\n Warsh’s nomination to succeed Powell, whose term as Fed chair expires May 15, must first be approved by the Senate Banking Committee. Tillis, a member of the Banking Committee, has repeatedly stated that he will block Warsh from advancing unless the DOJ drops its probe of Powell.<\/p>\n The Banking Committee held its confirmation hearing with Warsh<\/a> on Tuesday, and the nominee met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune<\/a>, R-S.D., on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Since the Senate is out the week of May 4, the committee could get its first chance to vote on Warsh’s nomination during the week of May 11.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nRead more CNBC politics coverage<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n