Kevin Warsh was set to sit in front of the Senate Banking Committee on April 16. That's not happening now.
The White House couldn't get his paperwork in on time. The forms - which cover his wealth, his wife's wealth, and an ethics deal - are taking longer than usual for one reason: the Lauder fortune.
The Money Problem
Warsh is married to Jane Lauder, an heir to the Estee Lauder family worth about $1.9 billion. When he last ran for a Fed role in 2006, his forms listed nearly 1,200 assets - most of them hers.
That takes time to sort through. The committee won't set a date until the paperwork lands.
A Political Block Too
Even if the forms show up fast, there's a second wall. Senator Thom Tillis says he'll block any vote on Warsh - or any Fed pick - until the DOJ drops its probe into current Chair Jerome Powell.
The clash: the White House wants Powell gone and Warsh in by May 15. But the DOJ probe holding things up is one the White House itself pushed for.
What to Watch
The earliest hearing date is now April 21. Powell says he'd stay on as "chair pro tem" if Warsh isn't confirmed by May 15. The math is getting very tight.
