Then came the fireworks. The FDIC’s public affairs office, which Ms. McWilliams controls, released a statement:“Earlier today, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) posted on its website a document, purportedly approved by the FDIC, requesting comment on bank mergers,” the statement, which was not attributed to any person, said. “No such document has been approved by the FDIC.”For several weeks, Ms. McWilliams and her staff had been privately trying to counteract Mr. Chopra and Mr. Gruenberg, according to two people briefed on the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly. After learning of the effort to create a bank mergers public information request, Ms. McWilliams proposed an alternative text for the …
