Tillis Gives Warsh Green Light After DOJ Drops Powell Inquiry

The last roadblock to Kevin Warsh’s nomination to lead the Federal Reserve is getting out of the way, as North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) said on Sunday that he’s ready to lend his support towards Warsh’s confirmation. 

Tillis had refused to advance Warsh or any other Fed nominee until the DOJ dropped its investigation into current chair, Jerome Powell over cost overruns in a renovation of the Fed’s headquarters. After DC US attorney Jeanine Pirro said on Friday that the matter would be dropped, Tillis told NBC’s Meet the Press that he was ready to move forward with the first committee vote on Warsh.

“They have made it very clear that the current investigation is completely and fully ended,” said Tillis. 

WELKER: Pirro says she’s willing to reopen a criminal investigation into Powell. You just heard the AG leave the door open too. But will you now vote yes to confirm Kevin Warsh?

TILLIS: I am now prepared to vote yes, with assurances from the DOJ pic.twitter.com/o5v0MlfQUW

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 26, 2026

Last week during Warsh’s confirmation hearing, Tillis made clear that he would block the nomination unless the inquiry was dropped.

Thom Tillis still refuses to blame Trump for anything: “The problem I have is that some US attorney or assistant US attorney with a dream thought it would be cute to bring Chair Powell under an investigation … the boss said he didn’t know anything about it” pic.twitter.com/WhBawG82bZ

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 21, 2026

Now, Tillis says that after discussions with the DOJ, he’s confident that the “current investigation is completely and fully ended,” and that the discussions gave him confidence that “they were not using the D.O.J. as a weapon to threaten the independence of the Fed.”

Tillis’s vote has been key to determining whether Warsh – a former Fed governor from 2006-2001 – will be confirmed by the time Powell’s term officially ends May 15.