Lawsky didn’t find any violations by Williams himself, who played no role in MoneyMutual other than endorsing it, according to Jonathan Franks of Lucid Public Relations, a spokesman for Williams. Williams used short-term loans himself when he was younger and many consumers have no access to other credit, Franks said.
“We stand by his overall endorsement of MoneyMutual, with the exception, pursuant to the consent order, of the state of New York,” Franks said in a statement.