Fed Hires Former Biden Special Counsel to Fight DOJ Subpoenas

The Federal Reserve has enlisted Robert Hur, the former special prosecutor who investigated President Biden's classified documents case, to help battle Justice Department subpoenas targeting Fed Chair Jerome Powell. A federal judge blocked the DOJ subpoenas, ruling there was no evidence Powell committed crimes beyond angering the president.

The Federal Reserve Board has enlisted Robert Hur, the former special counsel who probed President Biden’s classified documents case, to help fight a Justice Department investigation targeting Fed Chair Jerome Powell, according to court documents made public Friday.

The records became available after a Washington federal judge struck down Justice Department subpoenas in a criminal probe examining Powell’s oversight of historic building renovations at the central bank. The court determined the government “offered no evidence whatsoever that Powell committed any crime other than displeasing the President.”

President Trump has repeatedly demanded the Federal Reserve lower interest rates and has publicly criticized Powell for moving too slowly on rate cuts. Powell has characterized the Justice Department’s probe as politically motivated.

Hur, who holds conservative views, served as special counsel under Biden’s administration to examine his possession of classified materials discovered at his residence and office. While Hur chose not to file charges, he faced Democratic backlash for describing Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”

During Trump’s initial presidency, Hur held the position of Maryland’s chief federal prosecutor. He currently works as a partner with the King & Spalding law firm. Jeffrey Bucholtz, another firm partner who has previously represented the Federal Reserve in court cases, is also working on this subpoena matter.

Neither Hur nor Bucholtz provided immediate responses to comment requests. A Federal Reserve Board of Governors representative refused to comment.

King & Spalding and Hur are also defending Harvard University in legal battles with the Trump administration concerning the university’s federal funding and international student enrollment.

Powell, whose legal team comes from Williams & Connolly, revealed in January that the Justice Department was examining a renovation project for historic structures at the Fed’s Washington headquarters. The subpoenas demanded details about the renovations and Powell’s July 2025 Senate Banking Committee appearance.

The Fed’s governing board sought to dismiss the subpoenas, claiming in a February 24 court document that they were designed to “aid the president’s quest to seize for himself a power specifically denied to him by federal law.”

Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg ruled in favor of the Fed’s Board of Governors Friday, stating there exists a “mountain of evidence” indicating the DOJ’s investigation aimed to force Powell to reduce rates or step down.

Washington, D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, whose office leads the investigation, announced plans to appeal the decision.