Kraninger Attempting to Keep Imprint on CFPB Even if She Is Fired

"The Trump team is committed to leaving the government as corporate-friendly as possible when Biden takes it over," Hauser said.

Kraninger, on Tuesday, announced five appointments:

• Matthew Bettenhausen as senior advisor and counselor to the director.
• Chris Chilbert as chief information officer in the bureau's operations division.
• Janis K. Pappalardoas associate director for research, markets and regulation.
• Donna Royhas as COO.
• Deborah Royster as assistant director for older Americans.

The CFPB also made a major policy move this week — finalizing its new Advisory Opinions Policy plan that the agency said will provide some level of certainty to the regulatory process. Under the policy, entities can submit a request to the bureau about the agency's interpretation of regulations and how they might apply to the applicant.

"Regulatory certainty promotes compliance if the law applies and avoids unnecessary compliance costs if the law does not," the CFPB said in releasing the new policy. Consumer groups have said the advisory opinion policy will allow the agency and others to circumvent the regulatory process.

It is not clear whether any of the five new appointees will be protected under federal civil service rules.

An organization that monitors presidential transitions said that it is not unusual for outgoing administrations to try to "burrow in" employees.

"During election seasons, the status of political appointees in the federal workforce come under increased scrutiny," the Partnership for Public Service's Center for Presidential Transition said in a recent study. "Under all recent presidents, some political appointees have attempted to become civil servants — a process commonly called 'burrowing in.'"

"These kinds of conversions inevitably create concerns," the center said. "Supporters of an incoming president may be suspicious of individuals hired by the previous administration. "