New Jersey Names New Director for State-Level CFPB

The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General recently announced that New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will nominate Paul Rodriguez to serve as the Director of the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, the “state-level CFPB” that is the lead state agency charged with protecting consumers’ rights.  The Division is responsible for enforcing laws designed to ensure the fairness and integrity of the state’s commercial and investment marketplaces, and for assisting consumers with complaints or questions about particular professionals, businesses, vendors, or service providers.  In addition, the Division includes the Office of Consumer Protection, which enforces the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, the state’s UDAP law.

This appointment fulfills Governor Murphy’s previous promise to create a state-level CFPB as part of an effort to respond to the pullback of the federal CFPB under President Trump’s administration.  Governor Murphy will formally nominate Rodriguez to the position, pending state Senate approval, and Rodriguez will begin serving as Acting Director of the Division on June 1, 2018.

The New Jersey Office of the Attorney General’s press release is available here.