White House taps Brian Johnson to lead CFPB

The White House has sent the nomination of Brian Johnson to serve as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to the Senate, according to a notice filed on Wednesday.

The agency has been under the leadership of acting director Russell Vought for the past 16 months. During his tenure, Vought — who also serves as the current head of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) — has moved to scale back the bureau’s enforcement and regulatory activities.

In November 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Stuart Levenbach, an associate director at the OMB, to serve as CFPB director. Critics, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), argued the move allowed Vought to remain in charge beyond the 210-day limit set by the Federal Vacancies Reform Act (FVRA), as the clock is paused while a nomination is pending.

Johnson has previously served as deputy director of the CFPB during Trump’s first term, where he oversaw the agency’s rulemaking, supervision and enforcement activities.

A spokesperson for the CFPB stated that Johnson is the White House’s nominee to be the next Senate-confirmed CFPB director. He will “continue the CFPB wind down and de-weaponization that acting director Vought has been leading for the last year and a half” as Vought’s term ends this summer.

In April 2025, the Trump administration moved to dismiss roughly 90% of the CFPB’s workforce, triggering a court fight that temporarily blocked the layoffs. In August, a federal appeals court panel allowed the reductions to proceed, leading to the dismissal of about 1,500 employees.

Trade groups have commended Brian Johnson’s nomination. Consumer Bankers Association (CBA) president and CEO Lindsey Johnson said the association welcomes the opportunity to work with him as the bureau enters its next chapter.

“America’s leading Main Street banks look forward to engaging with Director-designate Johnson on policies that provide certainty and create a more durable, stable CFPB where the Bureau meets its mission of consumer protection in a manner consistent with its congressional mandate,” Lindsey Johnson said.

“A transparent, accountable CFPB focused on its core mission will strengthen outcomes for consumers, financial institutions, and the U.S. economy.”