In Times Op-Ed, CFPB Advisory Board Asks: Why Did the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Fire Us?

Here, by Ann Baddour, director of the Fair Financial Services Project at Texas Appleseed. Excerpt:

When Mick Mulvaney and his leadership team took control of the bureau in November, we on the advisory board tried in good faith to engage with them. We have been sidelined every step of the way. The bureau canceled our scheduled meetings this year, despite requirements in the law for those meetings. We sent two letters to the bureau leadership to object, and received no meaningful response.

On Wednesday, when we were supposed to have our first meeting with Mr. Mulvaney, we were instead summoned for a 30-minute conference call with Anthony Welcher, policy associate director for external affairs. He told us that the bureau wanted new people without “preconceived notions” about the bureau.

When I asked him where we had fallen short, or how the leadership of the bureau could know, without ever meeting us, that we have preconceived notions, he had no answer. What I took from his comments is that the bureau is looking for people willing to rubber-stamp bureau officials’ decisions, not for people who will give them independent and honest advice.

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