A Washington District Court ruled on Tuesday in favor of President Donald Trump and his administration’s decision to appoint White House budget director Mick Mulvaney as acting director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Leandra English, who was named director last week by the outgoing CFPB director, had her request for a temporary restraining order denied by judge Timothy Kelly.
“The administration applauds the Court’s decision. It’s time for the Democrats to stop enabling this brazen political stunt by a rogue employee and allow Acting Director Mulvaney to continue the Bureau’s smooth transition into an agency that truly serves to help consumers,” said White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah.
English’s attorney said further steps may be taken, including seeking a preliminary or a permanent injunction. The ruling cannot be challenged.
“This court is not the final stop. This judge does not have the final word on what happens in this controversy,” the attorney, Deepak Gupta said.
The ruling, however, curbed the rising controversy surrounding Mulvaney’s appointment as CFPB’s director, only hours after Richard Cordray assigned the post to English. English used language in the Dodd-Frank Act to claim that she was the rightful acting director of the bureau.
The Justice Department, on the other hand, refuted her claim, citing the Vacancies Reform Act which states that the president has the authority to fill an agency vacancy, further supported by the judge’s ruling. The judge added that there was no law which would stop Mulvaney from becoming acting director of the bureau, while at the same time staying White House budget director.
“It’s pretty clear in this case that the law is on our side. This is a complete political stunt that’s unfortunately tarnishing the reputation of the CFPB and the career staff,” a senior administration official said.
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