Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen on Monday condemned an investigation into her successor, Jerome Powell, saying it compromises the central bank’s independence.
Yellen, who served as Treasury secretary after leaving the Fed, added that she thinks financial markets should be more concerned about a situation that she called “extremely chilling.”
“I’m surprised the market isn’t more concerned. It seems to me that the market should be concerned,” Yellen said, according to CNBC’s Sara Eisen.
The comments come the day after Powell confirmed he’d been made aware that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., is looking into whether the central bank leader lied during testimony he provided to Congress last June about an expensive renovation project at the Fed’s headquarters. The office is led by Jeanine Pirro, a Trump confidante and former Fox News host.
The Justice Department has not officially confirmed the investigation into what would be perjury charges.
