THE FRACAS AT THE FDIC
As we noted on Thursday, the FDIC’s decision-making process broke wide-open when Directors Gruenberg and Chopra announced that the FDIC had a request for input (RFI) on bank M&A primed to go out for public comment. Indeed, a text of the RFI was posted, but only on the CFPB’s website along with a statement from Mr. Chopra pressing the RFI’s points on grounds that bank mergers are a “privilege, not a right.” But, after just a couple of hours, it became clear that what purported to be an FDIC action wasn’t an FDIC action at least as far as FDIC Chair McWilliams is concerned. A statement from the agency – not directly from her – not only refuted the RFI, but also soundly condemned the process by which it surfaced.