Calls Intensify for CFPB Official’s Firing Over Racist Blog

The CFPB remained mum Monday, as calls for Acting Director Mick Mulvaney to fire a key official over racist blog posts intensified.

The Washington Post reported last week that Eric Blankenstein, a policy director at the bureau, authored racist blogs and said the majority of hate crimes are hoaxes. Blankenstein admitted he was the author of the objectionable posts.

At the CFPB, Blankenstein oversees fair lending issues.

The Post also reported Friday that Patrice Ficklin, the director of the agency’s Office of Fair Lending and Equal Opportunity and Kirsten Donoghue, the CFPB’s assistant director of enforcement have called for Blankenstein to be ousted.

Ficklin sent an email to bureau employees after Blankenstein attempted to enlist he support without telling her the nature of his blog posts.

Senate Banking Committee ranking Democrat Sherrod Brown of Ohio called for Mulvaney to fire Blankenstein.

“These blog posts are hateful, reprehensible and disgusting,” Brown said. “Placing Blankenstein in charge of fair lending was a serious moral and managerial failure, and he must go.

Brown said the CFPB should be at the forefront of fighting financial discrimination. “There can be no place at the agency for people who don’t believe discrimination is real or a serious problem,” Brown said.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) another member of the Banking Committee, also has called for Blankenstein’s ouster, as have several consumer advocates.

“With such abhorrent views, Eric Blankenstein shouldn’t be let anywhere near the CFPB’s fair lending division let alone running it,” said Karl Frisch, executive director of Allied Progress, a consumer advocacy organization. “Mulvaney must fire him immediately. The fact Blankenstein still has a job tells you everything you need to know about what’s motivating Mulvaney to hobble the CFPB’s work protecting consumers from discriminatory lending practices.”

CFPB officials did not respond to several requests for comment.