Mick Mulvaney

“If you were a lobbyist who never gave us money, I did not talk to you. If you were a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.”

—Mick Mulvaney, on his “hierarchy” of constituent priorities when making public policy.

Fmr. Director of the Office of Management and Budget

Feb. 16, 2017 – Mar. 31, 2020

Fmr. White House Chief of Staff (Acting)

Jan. 2, 2019 – Mar. 31, 2020

Fmr. Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Acting)

Nov. 25, 2017 – Dec. 11, 2018

As Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Mick Mulvaney demonstrated his commitment to the plutocracy through his role in the 2017 tax cut – which doled out three to four percent tax reductions for the wealthiest 5% of Americans and actually increases taxes on the poorest 53% of Americans after 2025.

Beyond just loyalty to the wealthy, Mulvaney also displays a disturbing lack of concern for even the most vulnerable in society, proudly defunding (or attempting to defund) dozens of public safety-net and social programs such as Meals on Wheels and after-school programs.

As insult to injury, Mulvaney was also appointed as the Director of the CFPB – a government entity created to protect consumers from predatory financial practices, and which Mulvaney attempted to abolish during his time as a U.S. Representative. Almost immediately Mulvaney began reversing the mission of the CFPB, asserting that Payday Lending Companies were actually the “consumers”, and thus were owed protection by the very group meant to monitor them.

Estimated net worth (2016): $5,000,000

Mick Mulvaney | ProPublica: Trump Town

Notables

As head of the CFPB, Mulvaney dropped sanctions against a payday lender accused of stealing millions from consumers.

Payday lender accused of stealing millions let off the hook by Mulvaneys CFPB | Vox (4.20.18)

Dropped probe into payday lending group that had donated at least $4,500 to Mulvaneys prior political campaigns; the group was accused of targeting low-income consumers to make them repeat borrows.

CFPB drops probe into payday lender that gave to Mulvaney’s campaigns | American Banker (1.23.18)

Dropped a CFPB lawsuit to return $60M to consumers from four payday lending companies accused of charging interest rates of 440 to 950 percent – well beyond the legal limit in several states.

CFPB drops payday lending case, stoking fears Trump is backing off industry | Kansas City Star (1.19.18)

Said he intended to shut down public access to the CFPB’s online database of consumer complaints, claiming “I don’t see anything here that says I have to run a Yelp for financial services”; a review of the database shows 8 of the 10 firms with the most complaints had contributed to Mulvaneys campaigns.

Mulvaney doesn’t want you to see complaints against banks that funded his campaigns | Washington Post (5.8.18)

As the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Mulvaney requested a budget of $0 in 2018 (fortunately the agency is funded directly through the Federal Reserve as under the Dodd-Frank law, created after the 2008 recession).

Mick Mulvaney Says the Quiet Part Out Loud | The Atlantic (4.25.18)

Received over $65,000 in campaign contributions from Payday Lenders in 2018, a business he now has oversight over.

Mulvaney, Mick (R-SC) $67,750 from Payday Lenders | OpenSecrets

Mulvaneys proposal to cut Meals on Wheels could actually cost more money, as the program is responsible for feeding over two million seniors, half a million of which are veterans, and aids in reducing health-care expenditures by providing nutrition many seniors otherwise wouldn’t receive.

Trump’s Cuts to Meals on Wheels Could Hurt Veterans, Raise Health-Care Costs | Bloomberg (3.17.17)

Outlaid strategic plans to drastically weaken the CFPB has referred to it as a “sick sad joke”.

Trump Admin Plans to Defang Consumer Protection Watchdog | NPR (2.12.18)

Asked if cutting budgets for programs, like Meals on Wheels for the elderly and Head Start for children, was ‘hard-hearted’, Mulvaney responded “No – I think it’s probably one of the most compassionate things we can do”.

Mulvaney Says Cutting Meals on Wheels Is ‘Compassionate’ | New York Intelligencer (3.16.17)

The Ethics watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called for an investigation into misleading the Senate during confirmation hearings, particularly about the nature of his commercial real estate dealings.

Director of the Office of Management and Budget