The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has effectively been rendered inactive under the directives of its newly appointed acting director, Russell Vought. Vought assumed leadership of the CFPB on Friday, February 7, 2025. Shortly thereafter, he instructed all 2,000 agency employees to cease work and refrain from entering the office, as detailed in an internal email.
This directive followed the temporary closure of the CFPB’s Washington headquarters and the suspension of all agency activities, including investigations, rule-making, litigation, and public communications.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been granted access to the CFPB’s systems. Musk, appointed by President Trump to oversee a significant downsizing of the federal government, has previously called for the elimination of the CFPB, arguing that it duplicates the efforts of other agencies.
In response to these actions, the National Treasury Employees Union has filed a lawsuit, asserting that Vought’s directives violate the U.S. Constitution by undermining Congress’s authority to fund and define the agency’s mission. The legal challenge seeks to halt the suspension of the CFPB’s activities and restore its operational status.
