washington senior u.s. consumer financial protection bureau official file suit late sunday try prevent president donald trump name act head watchdog agency top lawyer conclude trump power move late dramatic developments fight leadership succession agency create 2011 democratic former president barack obama protect consumers predatory lend practice republicans white house congress try weaken agency leadership agency plunge confusion friday outgo obama-era director richard cordray formally resign elevate former chief staff leandra english replace interim basis senate confirm permanent successor name trump hours late republican president name mulvaney budget chief harsh critic agency act director cfpb general counsel mary mcleod write memo first report reuters concur opinion u.s. justice department trump power appoint mulvaney post advise bureau personnel act consistently understand director mulvaney act director cfpb mcleod memo state late sunday english sue u.s. district court washington seek temporary restrain order block trump appoint mulvaney file english say mulvaney experience consumer protection financial regulatory role seek get rid agency describe sad sick joke mcleod intervention bolster trump position isolate english 34 hold multiple job cfpb since creation white house spokeswoman sarah sanders say trump administration aware english lawsuit say law clear mulvaney act director sanders point mcleod conclusion add question mulvaney take job unfortunate mr. cordray decide put political ambition interest consumers stunt director mulvaney bring serious professional approach run cfpb sanders say side battle say law side democrats say 2010 dodd-frank wall street reform law create agency stipulate deputy director would take interim basis director depart senate confirm permanent director cordray name english deputy director say would become act director important fact ... general counsel come different conclusion say alan kaplinsky head consumer financial service group law firm ballard spahr llp say thing court think really go hand judge trump administration officials say 1998 federal vacancies reform act give president power temporarily fill agency position except multi-member board exemption say apply cfpb president attempt install white house official head independent agency allow official simultaneously serve white house unprecedented say english lawyer deepak gupta law firm gupta wessler add law clear english act director create 2008 financial crisis cfpb issue rule impose steep penalties bank auto dealers student lenders credit card company l8n1nw0mw future enforcement activities could stymie question run cfpb decide republican lawmakers argue agency wield much unchecked power add burden bank credit card company unnecessary red tape write twitter trump saturday call agency total disaster devastate financial institutions u.s. consumer watchdog agency official sue block trump 's pick