The ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee on Wednesday said that White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney Mick MulvaneyMick Mulvaney to start hedge fund Fauci says positive White House task force reports don't always match what he hears on the ground Bottom line MORE should resign over comments suggesting he gave preferential treatment to lobbyists who had donated to his campaigns.

Sen. Sherrod Brown Sherrod Campbell BrownSenate Democrats release report alleging Trump admin undermined fair housing policies Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Emboldened Democrats haggle over 2021 agenda MORE (D-Ohio) said Mulvaney should step down as Office of Management and Budget director and acting chief of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) after his Tuesday comments before a crowd of bankers.

Mulvaney, a former GOP congressman from South Carolina, said Tuesday that he would only meet with lobbyists who had donated to his political campaigns but valued the opinions of his constituents over hired guns.

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“If you were a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didn't talk to you. If you were a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you. If you came from back home and sat in my lobby, I would talk to you without exception, regardless of the financial contributions,” Mulvaney told a conference held by the American Bankers Association, the nation’s top banking advocacy group.



Brown, the top Senate Democrat overseeing the CFPB and a fierce critic of Mulvaney, said his comments reflect “the kind of ‘pay to play’ that understandably makes Americans furious with Washington, DC.”

“Mr. Mulvaney should resign, and The White House should quickly nominate a permanent CFPB Director with bipartisan support and a moral compass,” Brown said in a statement. “Banks and payday lenders already have armies of lobbyists on their sides — they don’t need one more.”

A spokesperson for Brown confirmed the senator is calling on Mulvaney to resign from both the Office of Management and Budget and CFPB.

Mulvaney spokesman John Czwartacki told The New York Times that “he was making the point that hearing from people back home is vital to our democratic process and the most important thing our representatives can do. It’s more important than lobbyists and it’s more important than money.”

Mulvaney’s comments, a rare admission from a former lawmaker, stunned the political world. Several Democratic lawmakers and political groups said his comments reflected widespread corruption and cronyism within President Trump Donald John TrumpOmar fires back at Trump over rally remarks: 'This is my country' Pelosi: Trump hurrying to fill SCOTUS seat so he can repeal ObamaCare Trump mocks Biden appearance, mask use ahead of first debate MORE’s administration.

Even Republicans once aligned with Mulvaney expressed surprise at his remarks.

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows Mark Randall MeadowsHouse moves toward spending vote after bipartisan talks House Democrats mull delay on spending bill vote Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE (R-N.C.) on Wednesday said he wants Mulvaney to clarify comments that he had a “hierarchy” in his congressional office for meeting with constituents and lobbyists.



“I’ve got to call Mick to ask him for clarification on that,” Meadows told reporters. “I wouldn’t know if a lobbyist has given me a dime or 10 dimes.”



“If you have someone who comes in the door and it’s based on how much money they’ve given,” he added, “that’s a problem.”

Rep. Tom Cole Thomas (Tom) Jeffrey ColeBottom line House approves .3 trillion spending package for 2021 Multiple lawmakers self-quarantine after exposure to Gohmert MORE (R-Okla.), a House veteran, said he doesn't "have any doubts about [Mulvaney's] personal integrity" but said prioritizing meetings based on money was wrong.

"I don't believe in that. It's a mistake," Cole said. "You try to prioritize who you see based on who you represent and what their interests are, and you've only got so much time."

Even so, Cole insisted that Mulvaney "was not a lobbyist favorite as a member to put it mildly, and I think he always operates in a straightforward and ethical manner."

Updated at 3:20 p.m.