Brian Johnson, former deputy director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), has been nominated to become head of the financial watchdog agency, the White House announced Wednesday.

If confirmed by the Senate, Johnson would replace Russell Vought, the White House budget chief who has served as the CFPB’s acting director since February 2025.

Johnson held the CFPB’s No. 2 role during the first Trump administration. He has also served as managing director in the banking supervision and regulation group at financial services consultancy Patomak Global Partners, according to his bio page on the website of the Federalist Society, a conservative and libertarian organization known for its originalist constitutional views.

He has also held “various positions on Capitol Hill, including policy director and chief financial institutions counsel on the House Committee on Financial Services, where his portfolio covered consumer protection and credit, mortgage origination, credit reporting, banking and data security,” according to the same bio.

Vought’s CFPB tenure has been marked by persistent attempts to reduce the bureau’s regulatory footprint or shutter the agency altogether. Actions overseen by Vought have included attempted mass layoffs, the wholesale recission of rules and guidance and the dismissal of public enforcement actions.

In November, President Donald Trump nominated Stuart Levenbach, a colleague of Vought’s from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, for the CFPB’s top job. But that was merely a “technical nomination” designed to restart the clock on Vought’s ability to continue serving as acting bureau chief, a CFPB spokesperson told Scotsman Guide at the time.

In January, the Senate sent Levenbach’s nomination back to the president without acting on it, which extended Vought’s maximum term as acting director through Aug. 1.

Bob Broeksmit, president and CEO of the Mortgage Bankers Association, highlighted Johnson’s “deep experience and knowledge in consumer financial services policy and law” in a statement welcoming his nomination.

“The CFPB is an important partner to our industry, and we will continue to work together to advance reforms that lower costs, reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, and improve access to sustainable homeownership opportunities,” Broeksmit said.

The American Bankers Association (ABA) applauded Johnson’s nomination in a statement released Wednesday, citing his “distinguished track record in bank regulatory policy” at both the CFPB and on Capitol Hill.

“The Bureau upholds its consumer protection mission best when it operates within its statutory authority, promotes responsible innovation and pursues regulations that are appropriately tailored and applied evenly to all market participants,” the ABA stated. “We look forward to the confirmation process and learning more about Brian’s plans for the CFPB moving forward.”

Lindsey Johnson, president and CEO of the Consumer Bankers Association (CBA), also praised the nominee’s “tenured background steeped in consumer protection policy” in a statement.

“America’s leading Main Street banks look forward to engaging with Director-designate Johnson on policies that provide certainty and create a more durable, stable CFPB where the Bureau meets its mission of consumer protection in a manner consistent with its congressional mandate,” the CBA leader said. “A transparent, accountable CFPB focused on its core mission will strengthen outcomes for consumers, financial institutions, and the U.S. economy.”

If confirmed by the Senate, Johnson would be eligible to serve a five-year term.

The CFPB did not immediately respond to Scotsman Guide’s request for comment on Johnson’s nomination.