No, they just allowed existing laws to go unenforced. That, and overwhelming support from the populace at the time - much of what that article reports occurred in 2009 - allowed the administration to get away with stuff like bullying the GM and Chrysler bondholders into accepting pennies on the dollar.
And I didn’t hear much protest from the Republicans. I suspect Obama knows all of the politicians are so corrupt that he can do anything he wants, and our corrupt representatives don’t dare to object.