00:00Republican Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina says he's ready to help clear the way for Fed
00:04chair nominee Kevin Warsh's Senate confirmation. Now, this is after he vowed to block Warsh from
00:09crossing the finish line. Tillis had taken issue with a Department of Justice investigation into
00:14the current Fed chair and Trump administration appointee turned foe Jerome Powell. The DOJ
00:19dropped that case on Friday, effectively teeing up Tillis for a yes vote. Here he is on Meet the
00:24Press Sunday. I feel like there were prosecutors in D.C. that thought this was going to be a lever
00:28to have Mr. Powell leave early. But now with this, I am prepared and with the assurances from
00:35the Department of Justice that the case is completely and fully settled. I am prepared
00:42to move on with the confirmation of Mr. Warsh. I think he's going to be a great Fed chair.
00:47Tillis believes he was digging in his heels for a noble reason, trying to protect the Fed's
00:52political independence. Now, the investigation in question had been about pricey renovations to
00:56the Federal Reserve Building undertaken under Powell's leadership. Powell testified about it
01:02all in front of Congress, and the DOJ was probing whether or not he had been truthful in that
01:06testimony. The legal issues aren't totally over. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro left the door open for
01:11more investigations, but Tillis says he spoke to relevant parties and is satisfied enough to vote
01:17yes. Chairman Powell's term is over on May 15th, though he could still hold a seat on the Board of
01:22Governors until January 31st, 2028, if he so chooses.
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