CFPB, Justice Department Engaged in Fair-Lending Investigations. The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division was engaged in 10 joint fair- lending probes with the CFPB at the end of 2014 as the result of referrals from the bureau, according to a recently released report to Congress. In five of the probes, the parties were in the midst of pre-suit negotiations, the report indicated. “In addition, seven joint investigations with the CFPB, which were initiated before 2014, are ongoing,” the report continued.The division received a total 18 referrals in 2014: 15 from the CFPB and three from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Of those 15 referrals from the bureau, seven had to do with issues of race/national origin, three with ...