U.S. Federal Prosecutors Conduct Surprise Visit to Federal Reserve Renovation Site Without Prior Notice, Denied Entry by Federal Regulators
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal and several English media outlets, prosecutors from the office of U.S. Attorney General Jeanine Pirro arrived unannounced at the construction site of the Federal Reserve's renovation project on Tuesday, as part of their ongoing investigation into the central bank. After a brief exchange with on-site construction personnel, they were asked to present legal authorization and were denied entry to the site. The matter was subsequently referred to the Federal Reserve's internal legal team for further formal compliance engagement.
This incident is seen as a further escalation of tensions between the federal judiciary and the Federal Reserve, following a federal judge's ruling that the Justice Department's criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and the renovation project lacked "substantial evidence" and dismissed related grand jury subpoenas. The surprise visit has been interpreted in public discourse as an "attempt to circumvent the court ruling and obtain information through direct on-site contact," but federal regulators denied the prosecutors entry on grounds of safety and compliance agreements, reinforcing their control over internal investigation channels.
Source: Public Information
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检察官在无预警情况下登门美联储翻新工地，标志着政治权力与独立监管机构之间“调查权力边界”的再次试探。在以往体制中，行政与司法部门通过法庭、传票与书面文件与央行交涉，而此次检察官的“现场突袭”试图将权力延伸至“实体场所”与“现场知情人”，以绕开法院对“秘密文件调取”的限制。这种结构性的试探，本质上是在测试“独立监管机构”与“行政调查力量”之间的物理‑心理控制边界。
从结构上看，联邦监管方拒绝入口，是在用“合规与安全”语言重申“非开放性”权力。美联储通过“必须授权”“现场不得擅入”“对接仅限法务”等规则，构建了一道“制度‑物理防火墙”，把外部调查从“直接接触”降级为“文件‑听证层级”。这一防线既保护了内部信息不被非正式泄露，也避免管理人员在“非正式问询”中陷入政治风险，是独立监管机构在高压政治环境下的一次防御性再武装。
长期趋势上，这起事件预示“司法‑政治权力”与“独立监管”之间的关系正在进入“物理‑对峙”新阶段。在数字信息与虚拟调查手段日趋饱和的今天，调查实体甚至“上门走访”成为权力的延伸方式之一。美联储的“拒绝进入”操作，标志着核心监管机构在制度与空间上，开始构建起对“巡查式调查”的物理抵抗能力，而这将进一步推动未来对“机构独立性”的争议，从“法律条文”延伸到“谁有权进入监管圣殿”的物理层面。