California Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Rohit Chopra, former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, to lead a new state agency focused on consumer protections and business regulation.
The Indian American official was ousted from the federal bureau soon after President Donald Trump returned to office last year amid Republican criticism portraying him as an unaccountable regulator.
Chopra often clashed with the nation’s banks and technology giants by taking on everything from “junk fees” to Big Tech’s role in consumer payments.
Newsom, a Democrat and likely presidential candidate who has clashed repeatedly with Trump, cast Chopra’s appointment as the next step in California’s effort to strengthen consumer safeguards in the wake of the Trump administration dismantling much of the CFPB.
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“As the Trump administration turns its back on consumers, we need strong and fearless leaders to keep protecting Californians,” Newsom stated. “Rohit Chopra has shown exactly that kind of leadership — taking bold action, standing up for working families, and enforcing real consumer protections.”
Chopra, a former member of the Federal Trade Commission would be the first secretary of California’s new Business and Consumer Services Agency, which launches on July 1. Newsom announced the agency last summer, as part of a reorganization that split the state Business Consumer Services and Housing Agency into two different entities.
“While federal agencies are making life more expensive and enriching special interests, California will be firing on all cylinders to make sure markets aren’t rigged against families and small businesses,” Chopra stated.
“By bringing together dozens of boards, bureaus, and departments under one roof, California’s new agency will work to protect the public in health care, technology, financial services, and more. I’m grateful to Governor Newsom for the opportunity to serve as the new agency’s Secretary.”
Chopra was described as a nation-leading advocate for consumers, spearheading decades of work to address affordability, ensure fairness in the marketplace, strengthen banking and financial systems, and hold those who violate the law accountable.
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Under President Joe Biden, Chopra served as Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from 2021 to 2025, leading the CFPB’s mission in overseeing mortgages, credit cards, student loans, and other consumer financial products.
During Chopra’s tenure, the CFPB recovered nearly $10 billion in refunds and penalties from companies that broke the law. Among other efforts, Chopra spearheaded work to eliminate junk fees imposed on consumers and businesses and pursued modernization efforts to create a more open and competitive banking and payments system.
In 2017, Chopra was nominated by President Trump and subsequently confirmed by the Senate unanimously to serve as a Commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, where he served until 2021.
He helped hold violators of trade laws accountable, strengthened sanctions against bad actors, and helped create more robust antitrust enforcement.
Chopra earned a Master of Business Administration from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University. He was also the recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship to the Republic of Korea.