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Goldman's top economist says Fed probe threat adds to independence worries
Goldman Sachs' chief economist Jan Hatzius said on Monday that a criminal indictment threat facing Federal Reserve chief Jerome Powell would reinforce worries about the U.S. central bank's independence, but he expected the Fed to continue to make decisions based on data. U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has ramped up its pressure on the Fed, threatening to indict Powell over comments to Congress about a building renovation project, an action Powell called a "pretext" by the administration to gain more influence over interest rates which Trump wants cut dramatically. "Obviously there are more ... (full story)