LAWSUIT FILED: Groups Seek CFPB Nominee Kraninger’s Records
Allied Progress and American Oversight Go to Court Against OMB and CFPB
Legal Complaint Available Here (PDF)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, consumer advocacy group Allied Progress, represented by American Oversight, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), seeking information that would shed light on the record of CFPB Director nominee Kathy Kraninger.
The FOIA requests from Allied Progress sought employment documentation, travel and reimbursement information, calendars, and a variety of electronic communications for Ms. Kraninger. OMB and CFPB have failed to provide any of the requested documents, forcing Allied Progress to ask a federal court to order the agencies to release the records to the public.
“As we saw during last week’s confirmation hearing, Kathy Kraninger has no interest in letting the American people learn more about her record of mismanagement before Senators vote on her confirmation for CFPB Director. On issue after issue, from the Trump administration’s family separation immigration debacle to its disastrous response to the crisis in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, Kraninger refused to answer even the most basic questions from Senators about her role in these policy blunders. 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.
“It’s a huge red flag that the Trump administration is hiding Kathy Kraninger’s record from the public. From Scott Pruitt to Wilbur Ross, the Trump administration has a track record of appointing senior officials with significant ethical problems and conflicts of interest, and the public has a right to know what baggage Ms. Kraninger might be bringing to CFPB before the Senate votes on her confirmation,” said Austin Evers, executive director of American Oversight.
During Kraninger’s confirmation hearing in the Senate Banking Committee last week, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) noted that the White House has not responded to a letter from Committee Democrats requesting answers to various questions about Kraninger’s record.
Allied Progress is a consumer watchdog organization that uses hard-hitting research and creative campaigns to hold Wall Street special interests and their allies in Congress and the White House accountable.
American Oversight is a non-partisan, nonprofit ethics watchdog committed to holding the Trump administration accountable. Through public records requests and litigation, American Oversight identifies and extracts evidence of corruption, misconduct, or conflicts of interest in the administration.
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