Diversity and equality

Questions surrounding Eric Blankenstein, a senior CFPB official whose racially charged writings from over a decade ago have led to calls for his resignation, have been referred to the agency's watchdog.

The uproar over the incendiary writings of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau official have led to calls for his removal, but the agency’s interim chief says he won’t “let any outside group dictate who works here.”

Senate Democrats on Wednesday called for acting CFPB Director Mick Mulvaney to reveal the vetting process that led to the hiring of a political appointee whose past incendiary writings have caused an uproar at the agency.

The head of the National Treasury Employees Union said the appointment of Eric Blankenstein to a senior role “reflects poorly on CFPB management.”

Eric Blankenstein, a political appointee overseeing fair-lending policy at the agency, said in an email to staff that his blog posts from 14 years ago that used a racial epithet “reflected poor judgment.”

What started as a single senior official at the CFPB voicing concerns about blog posts written 14 years ago by Eric Blankenstein, a top agency political appointee, is rapidly becoming a rising chorus of discontent.

The head of the agency’s fair-lending office cast doubt on a proposed reorganization of her office and raised concerns about blog posts written years ago by the political appointee overseeing the project.

In a surreal echo of the Kavanaugh-Ford hearing, Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt and an employee he is accused of harassing, Simone Grimes, testified before a House panel about the allegations.

As the House Financial Services Committee prepares to hold a hearing Thursday on oversight of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the exact focus of the hearing remains somewhat in flux.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued an interpretive rule Friday to clarify changes made to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act that were mandated by President Trump's regulatory relief law.

Racial and ethnic discrimination in mortgage lending may be misrepresented by "flawed" denial metrics that suggest a larger gap between the denial rates of racial groups than what actually exists, according to the Urban Institute.

The employee who made sexual harassment allegations against the agency’s director also claims Watt withheld her pay increase after she refused his advances.

Top U.S. housing regulator Mel Watt is privately reassuring people close to him that he will keep his post as authorities investigate an employee's claims of sexual harassment. Now, his accuser is heightening the pressure — speaking out publicly for the first time.

The Trump administration has argued that the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, issued in 2015, was too prescriptive.

Mel Watt's term as director of Federal Housing Finance Agency ends in January, but his exit may be accelerated if the accusations in a new report prove true.

Politico reported Friday that the head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency is being accused by an employee of making inappropriate sexual advances.

Greg Englesbe resigned as CEO of New Jersey lender E Mortgage Management after a jury awarded $3 million to a woman who accused Englesbe of injuring her when he grabbed and forcibly kissed her at a Philadelphia restaurant.

A server at a Philadelphia restaurant was awarded $3 million by a jury after allegedly being injured by the CEO of a mortgage lender who attempted to forcibly kiss her.

The Democratic congresswoman said the department under Secretary Ben Carson has turned "its back on its mission."

The CFPB is looking to rescind Obama-era policy that allowed it to punish banks and financial firms for unintentional discrimination.