The White House plans to nominate Jonathan McKernan as full-time director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Jonathan Gould as head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and Brian Quintenz as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), according to sources. The nominations were first reported by Punchbowl News. A White House spokesperson declined to comment.
If confirmed by the Senate, McKernan would lead the CFPB as it undergoes major changes following a freeze on its activities during the Trump administration. He recently stepped down from the FDIC board, where he served since January 2023. Previously, he worked as counsel for the Senate Banking Committee under Republican Senator Pat Toomey and held senior roles at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the Treasury Department.
Gould, a former partner at Jones Day in Washington, previously worked as chief legal officer at crypto firm Bitfury. In 2018, he served as chief counsel for the Senate Banking Committee under then-Chairman Mike Crapo. If confirmed, he would oversee large national banks as head of the OCC.
The CFTC, traditionally a minor player in financial policy, is expected to have a greater role as the Trump administration overhauls cryptocurrency regulations. Quintenz, currently head of policy for a16z crypto at Andreessen Horowitz, had advised the Trump transition team on crypto policy.
These nominations signal a shift in financial regulation as the administration prepares for major policy changes.
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