On Second Thought

After joining Republicans in calling for a hearing on allegations of employment discrimination practices at the CFPB, Representatives Maxine ("I Will Socialize You") Waters and Al ("Love and Happiness") Greene decided it was all a big mistake. They asked the House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb ("No Quarter Asked, None Given") Hensarling to "table" the hearing on the grounds that it would deal with only one employee's complaint rather than general practices, and that it appeared to be merely an opportunity for Republicans to pound the CFPB. I think they're right about the pounding. Therefore, I wasn't surprised that Rep. Hensarling told them that he's going ahead with the Bureau bashing.

Hensarling and oversight subcommittee chairman Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) said Monday that the hearing will not center exclusively on one individual’s complaints, but on the overall environment at the consumer bureau as well. They also noted that the committee initially asked several CFPB officials to testify, but that the bureau has declined to cooperate.

“We hope that you will help us encourage other suffering employees to come forward to the Committee as whistleblowers,” the Republican lawmakers wrote in a letter to Waters and Green.

My guess is that the CFPB will take the position that it doesn't litigate in Congressional hearings. Based on its past conduct, we assume that it prefers to litigate in the press. Hensarling and his cohorts  are not as warm and fuzzy interlocutors as are reporters for the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post.

 

It's interesting to note that the linked news report states that the CFPB "hired an outside investigator to look into the issue, and a subsequent six-month probe concluded that [the complaining employee's] claims are valid and also described a 'toxic environment' at one of the agency’s divisions." That investigator will also testify at the hearing, which seems to me to indicate that the topic of the hearing will range beyond one employee and into the "toxic environment" of the CFPB.

 

I can understand why the CFPB doesn't want to appear, but if Waters and Greene are genuinely interested in pursuing the issues they raised in their letter that demanded a hearing, they ought to show up and ask appropriate questions. You know, like asking the employee "When were you last in psychological counseling?" Or, "Is it correct that you and Lindsay Lohan were seen French-kissing at The Viper Room last weekend?" Perhaps they could impartially inquire of the independent investigator if his shoes were purchased at Wal-Mart or Johnston & Murphy, and why he's wearing white before Easter. That kind of blocking and tackling would at least keep things moving.

Oh, wait a minute: the CFPB is willing to testify. In the press.

Scott Pluta, the agency’s assistant director of the office of consumer response accused of retaliating against Martin, called Martin’s claims “patently false.”

Pluta also claimed that he was hoping that the Committee allows him to testify. Unfortunately, the Committee claims that he's never made a request to testify.

 

I will testify to the fact that this whole affair gives the average reader a bad case of tired head. Nevertheless, it's political theater of the absurd and it is entertaining.