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#wrongdoing

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Advice from the #CFPB helped me to beat a bad debt that wasn't mine in court (I was my own lawyer). Armed with pertinent questions for the debt owner, I was able to prove that it wasn't my debt. But I wouldn't have been able to do it without that information (not without hiring a lawyer, which could end up costing more than the debt)!

Workers at the CFPB watch hopelessly as the GOP undoes their work

By KEN SWEET
Updated 7:27 AM EDT, July 15, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — "The lights are on at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau across the street from the White House, and employees still get paid. But, in practice, the bureau has been mostly inoperable for nearly six months. CFPB employees say they essentially spend the workday sitting on their hands, forbidden from doing any work by directive from the White House.

"The bureau is supposed to be helping oversee the nation’s banks and financial services companies and taking enforcement action in case of #wrongdoing. Instead, the situation is Kafkaesque: the main function seems to be undoing the #rulemaking and law enforcement work that was done under previous administrations, including in President Donald Trump’s first term.

"American consumers can no longer look to the bureau for help when it comes to their checking account, credit card, #PaydayLoan, auto loan or #mortgage. Trump has neutered the watchdog, employees say, the culmination of a yearslong effort by Republicans who felt the agency often went overboard in its efforts."

Read more:
apnews.com/article/cfpb-vought

A security officer works inside of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) building headquarters, Feb. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)
AP News · Workers at the CFPB watch hopelessly as the GOP undoes their workOnce a powerful watchdog for financial wrongdoing, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has seen its enforcement efforts grind to a halt under the Trump administration. Employees report being unable to perform their duties, and investigations into financial misconduct are being undone. Financial institutions like Navy Federal Credit Union and Toyota Financial have had penalties rescinded, leaving harmed customers without restitution. The new budget law passed by Congress earlier this month cuts the CFPB’s funding by roughly half, meaning the bureau will be forced into mass layoffs.

Upscale #EastBay suburban hamlet must pay $120,000 to settle case brought by a persistent projectionist , "#solarpunk novelist" and Mastodon user @AEMarling arrested in 2021 for being an alleged "public nuisance" after beaming portable political imagery onto #SanRamon #CityHall.

Marling is perhaps best known for his caustic commentary targeting petty #Twitler #CEO #MelonHusk with viral projection takes including “Space Karen,” “Lawless Oligarch” "Mediocre Manchild" and other critiques on the #American oligarch's corporate #SocialMedia HQ outpost along #MarketSt in #SanFrancisco.

Originally after being cited, Marling's attorney assumed the small suburban city would return his projection equipment and drop charges, but angry officials retained "outside counsel and private attorney to act as prosecutor, and they prosecuted this to the bitter end” which prompted the case to continue for years as Marling counter sued the bedroom community in #federalcourt for alleged violations of his #FirstAmendment and #FourthAmendment rights, as well as false arrest, among other legal claims that personally named city officials and #police personnel who pursued the charges. Named in Marling's suit were #CityAttorney Martin Lysons, city manager Joe Gorton, ex top cop Craig Stevens, current #PoliceChief Denton Carlson, Sgt. Michael Pistello, Officer Rick Gonzalez, pvt attorney Lance Bayer and city employee Karen McHenry-Smith. The first alleged criminal conspiratorial act by the local govt occured when petty police lied in their report about the spot where Marling even had the projector, claiming it was propped up against a traffic light on a sidewalk rather than placed in a landscaping bed.

From there, and even after an acquittal in an actual local court for the bogus citation, Marling filed a complaint alleging numerous civil violations, including of the First, Fourth and 14th amendments and the #CivilRights Act, as well as false imprisonment.

Marling said he hopes the legal #settlement discourages crackdowns on #activism in the future.

“For the police to try to detain in this fashion is illegal — I wasn’t violating any laws,” Marling said. “I guess you could say it was a slap on the wrist to try to encourage cities to not do this.” We only got to this point where the city finally "settled" and agreed to pay #legal costs and admit no #wrongdoing after years of #litigation.

enews.email.bayareanewsgroup.c

danvillesanramon.com/news/2023

eastbaytimes.com/2025/05/13/vi #CopWatch #FreeSpeech

A quotation from Philip K. Dick

The authentic human being is one of us who instinctively knows what he should not do and, in addition, will balk at doing it. He will refuse to do it, even if this brings down dread consequences to him and those whom he loves. This, to me, is the ultimately heroic trait of ordinary people. They say “no” to the tyrant and they calmly take the consequences of this resistance. Their deeds may be small, and almost always unnoticed, unmarked by history. Their names are not remembered, nor did these authentic humans expect their names to be remembered. I see their authenticity in an odd way: not in their willingness to perform great heroic deeds, but in their quiet refusals to commit villainies. In essence, they cannot be compelled to be what they are not.

Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) American writer
Speech (1978) “How To Build A Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later”

Sourcing, notes: wist.info/dick-philip-k/39294/

#quote #quotes #quotation #authenticity #civildisobedience #evil #heroism #humannature #humanity #ordinarypeople #rebellion #resistance #self-actualization #tyranny #virtue #wrongdoing

Current #NOLA #PoliceChief dealing with #BourbonStreet #TerrorAttack aftermath was terminated from same #LEO role in #Oakland in a political purge by ex Mayor Schaaf in 2020.

#AnneKilpatrick was later awarded $1.5 Million from #AlamedaCounty #Taxpayer teat in a #lawsuit alleging #WrongfulTermination as retaliation for whistleblowing on sketchy #CityCouncil activities, that case settled with a payout but the #city officially admitted no #wrongdoing .

mercurynews.com/2025/01/01/one

The Mercury News · One-time Oakland police chief leading New Orleans’ law enforcement response to deadly truck attackBy Jakob Rodgers

#Rightwing loons continue to peddle the objective #lie that there's a mountain of #evidence of #impeachable #wrongdoing by #PresidentBiden. This despite the fact that not a single shred of evidence has been uncovered. Even elected #Republicans are publicly admitting there's no evidence. But you wouldn't know that if you got your information from right-wing #media.

dailycaller.com/2023/12/17/jon

The Daily Caller · ‘Enormous Amount Of Evidence’: Jonathan Turley Says Joe Biden’s Connection To His Son’s ‘Corruption’ Is ‘Impeachable’By Hailey Gomez

In the #UnitedStates, the #burdenOfProof is on the "accuser" — which is a "bedrock principle of our entire system."

That said, the fact that Rep. #RalphNorman (R-SC) got this wrong helps shed some light on his party's evidence-free #impeachment crusade: It appears some #Republicans expect #Biden to somehow come up with even more #evidence of his #innocence, rather than expecting the #GOP to produce evidence of #wrongdoing.

rawstory.com/house-goper-flubb

Raw Story - Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism · 'Flubbed the basics': House GOPer ridiculed as lacking grasp of U.S. legal systemBy Alex Henderson, AlterNet

Let the bullshit begin! Earlier today, Sen. #ChuckGrassley admitted that there's no #evidence of #wrongdoing by #PresidentBiden, and yet here we are as the sun sets, and the #HouseRepublicans have voted to open an #impeachment inquiry. This is the biggest and most embarrassing #fishingExpedition in modern history. It's going to blow up in the #Republicans' faces, and ultimately help Joe #Biden in the #2024election. Mark my words.

foxnews.com/politics/house-vot

Fox News · House votes to authorize Biden impeachment inquiryBy Elizabeth Elkind

More desperate bullshit from #JamesComer. The #Biden family had legitimate business interests in some #Chinese companies before Joe Biden was #president. The fact that some money from these businesses indirectly made its way to #JoeBiden isn't a secret, nor is it evidence of #wrongdoing. So, the fact that Comer "found" $40k attributed to these Chinese companies is utterly irrelevant, even tho Comer wants to present it as some big gotcha. Comer is transparently #pathetic.

dailycaller.com/2023/11/01/com

The Daily Caller · Comer Unveils Bank Records Showing Joe Biden Received $40,000 Of 'Laundered' Chinese MoneyBy James Lynch

And still not a shred of #evidence of criminal #wrongdoing. How many times do you think House #Republicans can recycle the same tired #innuendo? How many times can they pretend Rudy #Giuliani's discredited #Ukraine story is compelling new evidence? These people have no evidence. All they have are #allegations by problematic individuals with a personal interest in fabricating stories about Joe Biden. Allegations are not evidence.

theblaze.com/news/impeachment-

TheBlaze'Impeachment inquiry' into Biden may be coming — House speaker says 'millions of foreign money' has been...By Andrew Chapados

Let's say this latest allegation by someone with a personal interest in lying is true. Let's say #JoeBiden was on a call related to #HunterBiden's business. Sooooooo what? This isn't evidence of criminal #wrongdoing. It's just more #innuendo for the #Republicans to base their BS allegations on. I'm still waiting for #Comer and the rest of the #GOP scoundrels to produce even one piece of #evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Joe Biden. Because they haven't done that yet.

okmagazine.com/p/hunter-biden-

OK MagazineHunter Biden Dialed in Dad Joe Biden During Calls With International Business Partners, Ex-Colleague to Testify This WeekThe country will soon find out the truth on whether Joe Biden was involved in troubled son Hunter Biden's international business deals.

These people are ridiculous. For all their talk and bluster, Republicans have absolutely no #evidence that President #Biden has engaged in #wrongdoing. None whatsoever. All they have are #innuendo, #conjecture, and wishful thinking. And that's good enough for The Money Honey, and her soft-skulled audience at #FoxNews.

rawstory.com/maria-bartiromo-a

Raw Story - Celebrating 19 Years of Independent Journalism'Holy moly!' Maria Bartiromo gasps as Andy Biggs suggests Biden took $100 million from foreign sourcesBy David Edwards