Consumer Advocacy Groups Sue Over CFPB Nominee Records

Yesterday, consumer advocacy group Allied Progress filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against both the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), seeking information on Kathy Kraninger, President Trump’s nominee to head the CFPB. Specifically, the lawsuit is seeking Ms. Kraninger’s employment documentation, travel and reimbursement information, calendars, and a variety of electronic communications.

The group says they have been forced to ask a federal court to order the agencies to release the information because OMB and CFPB have not been forthcoming in producing the requested documents.

“If OMB and CFPB are going to stonewall the release of documents and information that could shed light on Kraninger’s record, we have no choice but to go to court,” said Karl Frisch, executive director of Allied Progress.

One of the major lines of attack from last week’s confirmation hearing was assertions about Ms. Kraninger’s record of consumer protection and her qualifications to lead the agency. In the hearing, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), the panel’s ranking member, noted that the White House had yet to respond to a letter from Committee Democrats requesting answers to questions about the CFPB nominee’s record.

Allied Progress is vocally opposing Kraninger’s nomination.