FGI seeking to discover where this takeover originated and what special interests were involved
July 14, 2022
(Washington, DC) – Today, the Functional Government Initiative (FGI) announced transparency litigation against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to compel the release of records regarding an attempted CFPB takeover of the independent Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
CFPB Director Rohit Chopra, also a board member of the FDIC, made unprecedented moves to undermine the longstanding independence of the FDIC. Chopra, a former Obama political appointee and a former member of Hillary Clinton’s transition team, attempted to circumvent the authority of Chairman McWilliams, including while she was on a nine-hour flight for FDIC business. After receiving a draft document produced by career employees and subject matter experts, Chopra again attempted to force a vote of the FDIC board on a controversial proposal related to bank mergers. Even the FDIC’s Office of General Counsel informed Chopra that his procedural maneuvers violated the by-laws of the FDIC and were not valid.
At its inception, the FDIC was designed to operate as an independent agency largely immune to the changing policies of new administrations. However, this attempted takeover broke nearly 90 years of tradition and may undermine the independence of other independent agencies across the US government. Whether this abolition of long-standing tradition originated from the White House or outside special interests remains an open question.
In January 2022, FGI opened an investigation, seeking documents about the CFPB’s role in the controversy, the long-standing authority of the FDIC chair, and the origins of this attempted FDIC takeover. The records FGI seeks, which the CFPB appears to be hiding, could provide some answers.
Initially, CFPB appeared to be willing to work with FGI but then abruptly ceased all communications, leaving FGI no other choice to but to file suit against CFPB.
Peter McGinnis, spokesman for FGI, issued the following statement:
“Trying to force independent agencies to function as partisan rubber stamps violates the historic norms of how these agencies were designed to function. Director Chopra’s attempt to takeover and turn the FDIC into a political tool is not only a threat to the FDIC itself but also an attack on the objectivity of other independent federal agencies. The American people deserve to know whether this coup was by Mr. Chopra’s own design or a calculated effort by the White House or outside special interests.”
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