A chorus of previous Federal Reserve chairs, Treasury secretaries and prominent economists came together Monday to support Jerome Powell as the central bank leader faces potential perjury allegations from the Justice Department. “The reported criminal inquiry into Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell is an unprecedented attempt to use prosecutorial attacks to undermine that independence,” a statement backed by more than a dozen signatories said. “This is how monetary policy is made in emerging markets with weak institutions, with highly negative consequences for inflation and the functioning of their economies more ... (full story)