In Collins v. Yellin (previously captioned Collins v. Mnuchin), the U.S. Supreme Court, relying on its decision in Seila Law, held that the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s structure was unconstitutional because the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) only allowed the President to remove the FHFA’s Director “for cause.” … Continue Reading

In its decision earlier this week in Collins v. Yellin (previously captioned Collins v. Mnuchin), the U.S. Supreme Court, relying on its decision in Seila Law, held that the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s structure is unconstitutional because the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 only allows the President to remove the FHFA’s Director “for cause.” … Continue Reading

On July 9, the U.S. Supreme Court granted the two petitions for certiorari in Collins v. Mnuchin, the en banc Fifth Circuit decision which held that the FHFA’s structure is unconstitutional because the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) only allows the President to remove the FHFA’s Director “for cause.” … Continue Reading

The orders released today by the U.S. Supreme Court from its January 10 conference did not include any orders regarding the petition for a writ of certiorari filed by the plaintiffs in Collins v. Mnuchin or the petition filed by the FHFA and Treasury Department.  The case dockets indicated that briefing on the petitions was submitted for last Friday’s conference.… Continue Reading

The issue of the CFPB’s constitutionality is currently before the Fifth Circuit in the interlocutory appeal of All American Check Cashing from the district court’s ruling upholding the CFPB’s constitutionality.  Oral argument was held in March 2019 and no decision has yet been issued.

At oral argument, the panel asked the parties whether it should hold its decision until the en banc court issued its decision in Collins v.Continue Reading

In an interesting twist, the FHFA has informed the Fifth Circuit in Collins v. Mnuchin, that despite having previously advised the en banc court that it would not defend the FHFA’s constitutionality, it has reconsidered its position under the leadership of its new Director and will take the position going forward that the agency’s structure is constitutional. … Continue Reading

In July 2018, in Collins v. Mnuchin, a Fifth Circuit panel found that the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) is unconstitutionally structured because it is excessively insulated from Executive Branch oversight.  It determined that the appropriate remedy for the constitutional violation was to sever the provision of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (HERA) that only allows the President to remove the FHFA Director “for cause” while “leav[ing] intact the remainder of HERA and the FHFA’s past actions.”… Continue Reading