Federal Judge Rejects Baltimore's Effort to Halt CFPB Funding Cuts

The ruling denies a preliminary injunction, finding insufficient evidence of a final decision to defund the agency.

U.S. District Judge Matthew Maddox ruled against Baltimore's request for a preliminary injunction to stop alleged efforts to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
The court found that Baltimore and its co-plaintiffs failed to demonstrate that the CFPB had made a 'final agency action' required for judicial intervention under the Administrative Procedure Act.
The lawsuit, filed by Baltimore and Economic Action Maryland, alleged that the CFPB's Trump-appointed acting director, Russell Vought, sought to undermine the agency by depleting its reserve funds and requesting no additional funding from the Federal Reserve.
The judge noted that the plaintiffs provided no evidence of a concrete decision to eliminate the CFPB's funding or reserves, describing their claims as speculative.
This decision follows broader debates over the CFPB's funding and role, with some Republican officials advocating for reduced agency operations and increased accountability.