U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna, a Florida Republican and ally of former President Donald Trump, has filed a criminal referral with the Department of Justice accusing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell of perjury. The referral, disclosed on 21 July, charges that Powell twice lied under oath about the scope and cost of the central bank’s renovation of its historic Eccles Building in Washington. Luna alleges that during his 25 June testimony before the Senate Banking Committee, Powell denied plans for a VIP dining room, private elevators, water features and a rooftop garden—amenities listed in 2021 planning documents. She further contends that Powell mischaracterised the project’s escalation from US$1.9 billion to US$2.5 billion as minor when writing to the Office of Management and Budget. Perjury before Congress is punishable by up to five years in prison. The Department of Justice has not commented on whether it will open an investigation. The move marks the first time a sitting Federal Reserve chair has faced a criminal referral from a member of Congress and intensifies a broader campaign by Trump-aligned lawmakers seeking Powell’s removal before his term expires in May 2026. Economists warn that politicising the Fed’s leadership could unsettle financial markets and erode confidence in the central bank’s independence.