Trump's new pick to run consumer finance watchdog to face Senate

Widely seen as a knowledgeable industry insider, Johnson has in the past also been a vocal critic of the CFPB. David Silberman, a former CFPB official whose tenure overlapped with Johnson's, said he expected Johnson would not seek to kill the agency.

"I do not think he would pursue an agenda of decapitating the CFPB although I believe he will feel obligated to carry out the president’s directives and policy priorities," said Silberman.

Aside from Capital One, ethics documents show Johnson has professional ties from private sector work to companies and former clients that are also regulated by the CFPB, including the major banks operating the money transfer service Zelle.

Under Vought, the agency has dropped a string of enforcement actions and settlements, including those involving Capital One and Zelle.