The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is facing a challenge from its own employees, who have reportedly stopped performing mandatory duties despite a stop-work order and a tip line set up by the agency to report on workers doing their jobs.
In an email obtained by Bloomberg Law, CFPB Chief Operating Officer Adam Martinez expressed surprise at this development, saying that some employees are not performing statutorily required work.
The issue arises from a February 8 email sent by acting CFPB Director Russell Vought, which instructed agency staff to stop all work “unless expressly approved by the Acting Director or required by law.” However, Vought also took steps to cancel contracts and halt certain operations, leading many employees to interpret this as an attempt to shut down the agency.
The CFPB set up a tip line account on Elon Musk’s X social media platform, allowing employees to report any issues with enforcement or supervision staff. Despite this, Martinez expressed surprise that employees were not working as required.
In contrast, President Donald Trump claimed to have shut down “the ultra-left CFPB” during his speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference. However, this appears to be a misrepresentation of the facts.
The issue is set to be heard in court, with the CFPB and the National Treasury Employees Union appearing before Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Tuesday. The judge has previously ruled against Trump administration efforts to fire some agency officials, and it remains to be seen how she will handle this case.
Source: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/banking-law/cfpb-wanted-employees-to-work-despite-voughts-order-tip-line