Jerome Powell Duped By Russians' Prank Phone Call: What Did He Reveal?

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell fell victim in January to a prank call by Russians masquerading as Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

And the Fed chair was as consistent with the pranksters as he is during his speeches.

Vladimir Kuznetsov and Alexei Stolyarov, a Russian comedy duo, appear to be behind the “prank,” according to the New York Times.

The matter has been referred to law enforcement.

Powell was seen in the clips answering questions about central banking and inflation in a video call, apparently believing he was talking to Zelensky.

The Fed said that it could not confirm its accuracy.

However, a Fed spokesperson confirmed to the Times that no sensitive or confidential information was discussed during the conversation.

The “pranksters” have tricked other global leaders in the past, including Germany’s former chancellor Angela Merkel and late Sen. John McCain in 2017, when they pretended to offer him compromising information about former President Donald Trump.

Fed officials will meet next week and release an interest rate decision on May 3, after which Powell will hold a news conference.

While the incident raised questions about the Fed's security measures, Powell's comments in the video appear to be consistent with what he’s said in his American press rooms.

“This year, most forecasts call for the U.S. economy to grow, but at a pretty subdued level,” Powell said to the pranksters. “We would tell you that a recession is almost as likely as very slow growth.”

Photo: Courtesy Federal Reserve