Civil and Human Rights Coalition Applauds Richard Cordray as a “Stalwart Advocate for Consumers”

Washington, D.C. – Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement regarding the announcement that  former Ohio Attorney General and Director of Enforcement of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Richard Cordray will be nominated to be the bureau’s first director:

“Richard Cordray is a stalwart advocate for consumers and an extremely qualified choice to be the CFPB’s first director. He has spent his career in Ohio and on the national stage protecting everyday Americans from predatory business practices and abusive lenders.

We have publicly advocated for Elizabeth Warren’s nomination to this post since the inception of the CFPB and we applaud her indefatigable work on behalf of the agency. Cordray, who leads the bureau’s enforcement division, is an exceptional nominee and has the full support of The Leadership Conference.

The Republican minority has stood on the CFPB’s neck for far too long. Opposition to highly qualified nominees like Warren and Cordray is just another attempt to weaken the bureau’s mandate and undermine its effectiveness.

We have stood up with Warren and will stand up with Cordray to protect all Americans from abusive and manipulative business interests.”

Nancy Zirkin is executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.