Mulvaney Stands By CFPB Director in Blogging Furor – NMP Skip to main content

Mulvaney Stands By CFPB Director in Blogging Furor

Oct 03, 2018
Mick Mulvaney, the Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), has informed the agency’s staff that he has no plans to fire or reassign Eric Blankenstein

Mick Mulvaney, the Acting Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), has informed the agency’s staff that he has no plans to fire or reassign Eric Blankenstein, the CFPB’s Policy Director of Supervision, Enforcement and Fair Lending, after news emerged that he authored anonymous blog posts in 2004 that questioned the veracity of some hate crime reporting.
 
The Hill obtained an internal CFPB e-mail from Mulvaney, who acknowledged the pushback from some of the agency’s employees, which also included the demand that Mulvaney halt a reorganization plan that would have put Blankenstein in charge of a division that investigated racial discrimination cases.
 
“I recognize that this is not the result that some of you may have wanted,” Mulvaney wrote in his e-mail. “But I stand by my decision and will proceed accordingly.”
 
Blankenstein issued his own statement to his CFPB colleagues in which he expressed regret for the blog posting, which included a consideration on the racist resonance connected to the n-word. However, Patrice Ficklin, Director of the Fair Lending Office, and both the President of the National Treasury Employees Union and the head of its CFPB chapter also called on Mulvaney to fire Blankenstein and end the planned organizational changes. But the Acting Director rejected that call.
 
“I hope everyone understands that this is a unique circumstance from a management perspective and that this matter needs to be handled with the utmost professionalism,” Mulvaney said in the e-mail.

 
About the author
Published
Oct 03, 2018
California Approves $25B Homebuyer Loan Program, Targeting New Construction

Proposition 37 could open new purchase lending opportunities, but financing costs and borrower qualification will determine its reach

When AI Takes Action: New Federal Framework Raises Questions

New federal banking guidance examines the risks of autonomous AI, from borrower communications to servicing transactions, with a focus on human oversight and accountability

States Tighten Mortgage Rules For Home Equity Investments

Massachusetts, Maine, and Illinois are expanding oversight of home equity financing

West Capital LO Challenges Contractor Status, Required Fees

A former originator alleges unpaid overtime, recurring tech charges, and company restrictions that he says undermine his independent-contractor status

CFPB Closes 40% Of Investigations, Keeps Mortgage Enforcement In Focus

The federal watchdog closed thousands of supervisory and investigative matters as it narrowed oversight

Midterms Loom With Mortgage Policy Changes Already In Motion

As voters head to the polls Tuesday, Washington is weighing changes to refinancing costs, loan pricing, and lending regulations