Brian Johnson, deputy director at the CFPB, has left the agency for a position at law firm Alston & Bird. His departure brings the tally of political appointees leaving the bureau to four.
The question now facing lenders is how they should respond to the CFPB’s civil investigative demands pending the Supreme Court’s decision in the Seila Law case.
The court-appointed CFPB defender said the petition challenging the bureau’s structure is “remarkably weak.” According to him, there is no basis “to take the grave step of invalidating an act of Congress.”
Most briefs filed in the Seila Law v. CFPB case before the Supreme Court argue that the “for-cause” removal protection is not severable, and the court should invalidate the CFPB in its entirety or send the statute back to Congress.
Democratic senators have asked the Government Accountability Office to investigate whether the CFPB has fulfilled its statutory obligation to combat discriminatory lending practices. Separately, Rep. Maxine Waters questioned the bureau’s potential hiring of an enforcement director.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review a case challenging the CFPB’s constitutionality. The court directed both parties to file briefs on a possible remedy.
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