Employees have questions for CFPB’s COVID-19 medical advisor

In June 2020, CFPB hired Dr. Harold "Woody" Davis to a term position to serve as a medical advisor for the agency's COVID-19 pandemic response. After some research, the Union could find no evidence that Dr. Woody Davis is currently licensed or has ever been licensed to practice medicine, or that he has ever been a practicing medical doctor.

Employees had several questions for CFPB about Davis, which CFPB refused to answer. 

Questions for the Bureau

1. Could you please provide a copy of the Medical Advisor vacancy announcement? How long was this vacancy announcement posted and where?
2. What were the basic qualifications for the Medical Advisor position? Is there any requirement that the person selected be a doctor or be licensed to practice medicine?
3. How many candidates applied for the position? How many were interviewed?
4. Were any of the other candidates licensed physicians?
5. Did Mr. Davis, the candidate selected to fill the position, require an ethics waiver?

Questions for the Medical Advisor

1. How would you define the role of a Medical Advisor at the CFPB?
2. Where did you attend medical school and where did you complete your residency? (Please provide dates.) What specialty was your residency in?
3. Where, when, and for how long were you licensed to practice medicine? (Please list all licenses.) Are you currently licensed to practice, and if so where?
4. Could you please describe any other medical board certifications, dates received, certification process, and what those certifications allow you to do?
5. Have you ever taught at any medical schools? Please list the names, departments, and dates.
6. What kinds of public health experience do you have? Do you have experience in “force health protection?”
7. Are you aware of the CDC guidelines for offices regarding wearing face coverings or masks?
   • "When videoconferencing or teleconferencing is not possible, hold meetings in open, well-ventilated spaces continuing to maintain a distance of 6 feet apart and wear cloth face coverings." (Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), May 2020)
   • Could you describe how your guidelines align with the CDC’s guidelines? Why do your mask guidelines for the CFPB differ?
8. Are you familiar with the CFPB’s Pandemic Plan? How are you using that to inform your re-entry planning decisions?
9. Are you currently licensed to practice law? Please list all state bar admissions, dates, and current status. When was the last time you practiced law?
10. What state do you currently reside in? How recently did you reside in Texas?
11. Could you please describe any affiliations? (Please include your membership in the Texas Bar, Republican National Lawyers Association, Frontier Security Strategies, Huntington Station Homeowners Association, and any other for-profit or non-profit involvement within the past year.)