NJ Co-Leads Coalition to Defend Consumer Protection Agency Against Dismantling

New Jersey joins 22 other states in urging the federal appeals court to uphold an injunction preserving the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s operations.

NEW JERSEY — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has co-led a coalition of 23 state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to uphold a federal injunction that blocks the ongoing dismantling of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

“The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has successfully prevented corporations from taking advantage of our residents and has returned billions of dollars into the pockets of Americans. President Trump’s attempts to gut this critical watchdog agency are as reckless as they are illegal,” said Attorney General Platkin. “Instead of protecting Americans from predatory business practices, the Trump Administration is once again prioritizing the interests of the wealthy and the powerful. We will fight back against this transparent attempt to gut consumer protections and enable unscrupulous business practices at the expense of hard-working Americans.”

The brief, filed in National Treasury Employees Union v. Vought, supports the plaintiffs who sued to stop efforts led by Acting CFPB Director Russell Vought to scale back the agency’s operations. The district court issued a preliminary injunction on March 28, 2025, halting layoffs, ordering reinstatement of previously terminated staff, and stopping the implementation of directives aimed at rolling back the CFPB’s regulatory work.

The Trump Administration is appealing that ruling. If the D.C. Circuit reverses the injunction, states warn that consumers nationwide — including those in New Jersey — will face immediate and long-term harm from a weakened federal consumer watchdog.

The multistate coalition argues that the CFPB plays a critical role in protecting consumers from financial misconduct and abuse, particularly in monitoring large national banks and enforcing fair lending laws. According to the brief, weakening or eliminating the agency could deprive the public of a vital resource for reporting fraud and reduce oversight that helps prevent large-scale financial misconduct.

Attorney General Platkin emphasized that the CFPB’s continued operation is essential for safeguarding economic fairness for individuals and families. “New Jersey residents rely on the CFPB to hold financial institutions accountable and to ensure transparency in the marketplace,” his office stated.

The CFPB was established in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis to serve as an independent agency protecting consumers in the financial sector. Since its founding, it has played a central role in enforcing federal consumer protection laws, including actions related to credit reporting, mortgage lending, payday loans, and student loans.

Joining New Jersey on the amicus brief are the attorneys general of New York, the District of Columbia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The D.C. Circuit Court is expected to rule in the coming months on whether the injunction remains in effect during litigation.