Reiferson noted the bureau has an office in San Francisco that is staffed with several attorneys who are members of the Central District of California bar.
“Given Mr. Kawakami’s conflict, and that the bureau is an agency of the federal government with limited resources, the bureau seeks for the court to permit its San Francisco attorneys who are members of this court’s bar to serve as local counsel in support of the attorneys in this case, who wish to continue their representation pro hac vice,” Reiferson wrote.
Reiferson said the CFPB hasn’t faced similar troubles in the three other cases Kawakami withdrew from: CFPB v. Prime Marketing Holdings, CFPB v. CashCall and CFPB v. Howard. These cases are pending in the Central District of California in front of other judges. Kawakami was not available for comment.
In South Florida, the CFPB sued Ocwen Financial Corp., a leading mortgage servicer, in April without involving the local U.S. Attorney’s Office. But the Justice Department may soon participate nonetheless.
A federal judge on Aug. 1 granted Ocwen’s request to “invite the views” of the U.S. attorney general, giving the Justice Department a new venue to contest the lawfulness of the CFPB’s structure.
