When Mick Mulvaney Learned Of Racist Blogger on Trump CFPB Staff, He Gave Blankenstein a ‘High Five’
See July 30 Washington Post story, ‘Trump’s former anti-discrimination official ‘may have abused his authority,’ inspector general’s report finds’. Nearly three months after their internal investigation was completed, the public finally has a window into how Mick Mulvaney, Eric Blankenstein and the Trump administration reacted to public reports that Blankenstein had published racist writings beginning in his mid-20s: with ‘a high-five… sort of, celebration of the article.'” In response, Allied Progress Director Derek Martin issued the following statement:
“The Trump administration had been accused of harboring racist views; but now we know they celebrate them as well. It’s despicable enough that someone with Blankenstein’s views was allowed to stay on the job for nearly a year after his writings came to light. But today’s revelations — that the reaction from then-CFPB Director Mick Muvaney was essentially to give a “high five” and an “Atta’ boy” — raises serious concerns about policy decisions both men were involved in. Congress and the American people need to demand a full accounting of how the CFPB decided to weaken anti-discrimination laws given what we know about the people in charge at the time.”
Key Point from the Post article:
Mulvaney told him “he wasn’t going anywhere” and had been “smeared” by The Post, Blankenstein told investigators. “Blankenstein described this encounter to him as Mulvaney giving him a high-five that morning in sort of, celebration of the article,” according to the inspector general’s report. Mulvaney is now President Trump’s acting chief of staff.
Previous from Allied Progress:
- Trump’s HUD Gives Safe Harbor to Racist CFPB Official Eric Blankenstein
- Allied Progress statement on departure of top CFPB aide Eric Blankenstein who was behind numerous racist and sexist blog posts
- Lawsuit Filed: Groups Seek CFPB Records Around Trump-CFPB Aide Eric Blankenstein
- Mulvaney Should Fire His Handpicked CFPB Fair Lending Chief Over Racist/Sexist Writings (9/27/2018)
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