(criminal referral) Why is this trending now

The phrase “criminal referral” is trending primarily due to high-profile political and legal developments in Washington:

• The Federal Reserve Headquarters Renovation Report: The Federal Reserve’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released an official report investigating the multi-billion-dollar cost overruns at the Fed’s Washington headquarters. A focal point of the news coverage and search interest is the watchdog’s explicit conclusion that investigators found no grounds for a criminal referral to the U.S. Attorney General regarding former Fed Chair Jerome Powell or the board, prompting fresh political debate and renewed calls by Donald Trump for Powell to step down.

  The Guardian+ 1

• Congressional Probes & Legal Recommendations: Search traffic around the phrase also spikes frequently whenever congressional committees weigh or issue official criminal referrals to the Department of Justicemost recently highlighted by House Republicans advancing actions and discussions around referrals regarding former Biden-era officials and prosecutors over testimony given to Congress.