Special Report: Richard Cordray: Watchdog

A familiar name and face in Columbus, Rich Cordray has a new tell-all book “Watchdog: How Protecting Consumers Can Save Our Families, Our Economy, and Our Democracy,” where he reveals behind the scenes stories of his time as the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) during the 11 months he served under President Donald Trump. President Barack Obama appointed Cordray to be the first Director of the newly established CFPB in 2011. A small group housed at the Treasury Department led by Elizabeth Warren, created the CFPB under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (Dodd-Frank Act). The purpose of the CFPB is to promote fairness and transparency for mortgages, credit cards, and other consumer financial products and services.

From the beginning, Cordray and CFPB were challenged by many regulatory agencies, legislators, and companies. Cordray contends in this book that Trump was about to fire him but hesitated until the Supreme Court could rule on whether the President needed sufficient cause to fire a sitting CFPB Director. Ultimately, Cordray resigned in late 2017 to return to Ohio to run for Governor, a race which he lost to Mike DeWine.

With a career that ranges from law student, Marshall Scholar, law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, representative in the Ohio House, first Solicitor General for Ohio, Treasurer State of Ohio, Ohio Attorney General, a presidential appointee to the CFPB to a five-time Jeopardy Champion, and now, author of an intriguing new book, Cordray has stories to tell.

Featuring Richard Cordray, former Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) from 2012 to 2017; former Ohio’s Attorney General, Solicitor General, and Treasurer and host, Colleen Marshall co-anchor WCMH NBC4.

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