Washington, D.C. – Cristóbal J. Alex, President of the Latino Victory Project, issued the following statement after the confirmation of Steve Mnuchin as Treasury secretary.
“Tonight, Senate Republicans confirmed yet another unqualified individual to serve in Trump’s cabinet. Steve Mnuchin built his wealth by taking advantage of families dreaming of owning their own homes, many of them Latinos. Mnuchin directly profited from the turmoil of the housing crisis. At the helm of OneWest Bank, he ran a foreclosure machine, offering the worst loans to Latinos and forcing tens of thousands of families into foreclosure once the housing prices fell. All the while, Mnuchin was growing his now estimated $620 million fortune.
“Housing advocates have long spoken out against the ravages of denying financial services to communities of color, compared to the services provided to more affluent white neighborhoods serviced by OneWest branches. So much for draining the swamp. One thing is clear, Donald Trump is only looking out for his rich friends and not the middle class.”
