Judge Tosses Request For Injunction Against Acting CFPB Head

The Trump Administration scored another victory when it comes to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), with a federal judge dismissing a request for a preliminary injunction against acting director Mick Mulvaney.

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Leandra English, who has been trying to stop Mulvaney from serving as acting director of the CFPB, argued in a legal case that she is the acting director after being appointed by former director Richard Cordray, who was named into his role by President Barack Obama. The judge ruled that English doesn’t meet the standard to get approval for the injunction.

“The Court finds that English is not likely to succeed on the merits of her claims, nor is she likely to suffer irreparable harm absent the injunctive relief sought,” the judge wrote in his opinion. “Moreover, the balance of the equities and the public interest also weigh against granting the relief.”

The ruling by the court was met with disappointment by English, with her lawyer, Deepak Gupta, telling the Wall Street Journal that the appointment of Mulvaney “undermines the Bureau’s independence and threatens its mission to protect American consumers.” He didn’t tell the newspaper what English’s next move will be. English is still the second in charge at the CFPB.

Since taking over the head role for the interim, Mulvaney — a long-time critic of the CFPB and its reach — has instituted a hiring freeze and also halted all new regulations for the next 30 days. He said in December that he’s looking over more than 100 pending enforcement actions, litigation and settlement talks, reported Reuters at the time. Mulvaney has also said he would not fire English. Additionally, he said he wants her to continue on as acting deputy director.