Inside the Selection of Kathy Kraninger

by Jeff Sovern We received the following transcript from Canadian intelligence services of White House deliberations between two unidentified people: A: Who should we pick to run the BCFP? B: Can't Mick just stay on? A: Not past this week. B: Too bad. He's done a great job. Wait until you see the bank campaign […]

White House says it will nominate Kraninger to head CFPB

by Jeff Sovern Various outlets are reporting that it will be Kraninger.  At least one conservative objects to the appointment.  Here is an except from the WSJ report: “The nominee is unqualified,” said J.W. Verret, a law professor at George Mason University and former chief economist for Rep. Jeb Hensarling, (R., Texas), head of the […]

Read NY’s suit against the Trump Foundation, Trump, Ivanka Trump, Trump Jr., and Eric Trump

You know that New York has sued Trump's Foundation, and Trump and his kids individually, alleging that the Foundation  was little more than a checkbook for payments to not-for-profits from Mr. Trump or the Trump Organization. This resulted in multiple violations of state and federal law because payments were made using Foundation money regardless of […]

Another article on the prospect of Kraninger as new CFPB head

Following up on Jeff's post from yesterday, Ben White and Katy O'Donnell at Politico write that Mulvaney OMB associate said to be likely pick to head consumer bureau. Here is an excerpt: President Donald Trump is likely to pick Kathy Kraninger, who works under Mick Mulvaney at the White House budget office, as the next director of the Consumer […]

Now Bloomberg says Kathy Kraninger is the leading choice to be the next CFPB director

by Jeff Sovern Here.  Four anonymous sources say she is Trump's leading choice. Will we hear a different name tomorrow?  Excerpt: Kraninger, an associate director at OMB, previously worked for the Department of Homeland Security and the Senate Appropriations Committee. * * *   The potential selection of Kraninger, which could be announced next week, is likely to […]

House Appropriations Committee Votes to Subject CFPB to Annual Appropriations

by Jeff Sovern The Hill has a report here. I don't think that can pass the Senate unless the Senate abolishes the filibuster rule or nine Democratic senators go along with it, so it seems unlikely to pass unless Democrats make a deal to do something they see as more important–which hasn't happened in the […]

Issa says he’s not discussing taking over the CFPB with the White House

by Jeff Sovern Bloomberg said Issa was a contender just two days ago but The Hill reports Issa claims the matter is not under current discussion. If the press reports are accurate, it's striking that the White House seems to be shifting so quickly on selecting someone it has known it would need to nominate […]

McWatters now said to be out and Zywicki front-runner for CFPB

by Jeff Sovern So says C. Ryan Barber in the National Law Journal.  Things shift quickly in the Trump White House. The report is attributed to two unnamed sources.  Zywicki would be a formidable candidate. He is smart, a prolific writer, and served as Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission. […]

Top bank regulator unaware of discrimination

Politico reports that Joseph Otting, the head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a federal agency is responsible for enforcing fair lending laws, refused to say directly that discrimination exists, during questioning at a House Financial Services hearing on Wednesday. Among the laws that the OCC oversees is the Community Reinvestment Act, […]

CFPB announces second enforcement action under Mulvaney

by Jeff Sovern Here, against Security Group, Inc. As expected, the case involves debt collection problems but the Bureau also found FCRA issues. Here's an interesting thing about the case: remember how Mulvaney suggested that enforcement actions ought to be based on the numbers of complaints received? Well, I ran the three names in the CFPB's […]