washington whether richard cordray stay head consumer financial protection bureau cfpb term end july agency ability rein wall street severely weaken political insiders lawyers consumer advocate say doubt grow democratic director america top consumer watchdog leave post run ohio governor widely speculate lackluster labor day speech spark anxiety campaign appeal accord party insiders cordray whose term cfpb end july 2018 expect announce decision run regulator release long-awaited rule restrict payday lenders expect within weeks accord multiple source cordray evade question republican chairman house representatives financial service committee jeb hensarling plan write recent letter time insights provide subject even cordray stay enjoy reprieve republican efforts defang agency believe powerful restrict flow credit constant attack position threat pose status quo wall street say karl frisch executive director ally progress consumer advocacy group call cordray stay would imagine would continue regardless long stay job republicans include hensarling introduce legislation weaken even dismantle agency create part post-crisis dodd frank act bill get far cordray still play defense republican-dominated congress poise suffocate new cfpb rule use congressional review act mechanism already use kill 14 obama-era regulations lawmakers also consider amend government budget bring cfpb fund currently provide independent federal reserve control congress potentially allow republicans starve agency resources president donald trump could also take extreme step intervene remove cordray court rule last year say president able fire cfpb director without cause cfpb appeal even cfpb victorious trump may still seek use cause allow law inefficiency neglect duty get cordray way accord legal experts cfpb decline comment multiple time cordray plan possible successors would operate absence since trump come power cfpb race finish outstanding rule proposals take numerous enforcement action hop lock work case trump appoint pro-wall street replacement say quyen truong partner law firm stroock stroock lavan assistant director deputy general counsel cfpb early 2016. cordray quit remove dodd-frank require deputy step temporarily lawyers say legitimacy step could challenge act may supersede law allow president temporarily fill vacancies alan kaplinsky head consumer financial service group law firm ballard spahr cordray critic say white house widely expect appoint treasury secretary steve mnuchin interim replacement would delegate duties lower-ranking officials scrap new rule allow bank credit-card customers band together class-action lawsuits tough regulation payday lenders likely trump appointee first move kaplinsky say could do delay rule effective date study common washington tactic use stall implementation regulation indefinitely act director could also dramatically scale back consumer complaint database key tool cfpb use resolve dispute individuals identify corporate malfeasance truong say meanwhile say agency continue pursue enforcement case likely much small scope jeff emerson spokesperson hensarling say new director would naturally bind law person would lot discretion make change without democratic director u.s. consumer watchdog weaken