S&P Global, February 4, 2021, Progressives critical of Biden’s expected OCC nominee over fintech ties
U.S. President Joe Biden’s expected pick to lead a key bank regulator is facing scrutiny from progressives for his ties to a digital lender and a cryptocurrency company, setting up an early battle with the left on banking policy.
Michael Barr, who was a top Treasury Department official under the Obama administration, is reportedly Biden’s likely pick to be the next head of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.
The National Community Reinvestment Coalition, a group that consistently battled with the Trump administration’s OCC leaders, believes that both Barr and Baradaran are “phenomenal candidates with excellent financial reform credentials,” said Gerron Levi, senior director of government affairs at the NCRC.
