The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) fired several probationary employees on Tuesday, according to a termination letter recipient and sources familiar with the matter. The move is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to weaken the agency.
Acting CFPB chief Russell Vought, appointed last week, ordered staff over the weekend to halt all “supervision and examination activity” and announced plans to eliminate the agency’s funding for the next quarter. Vought, who also heads the Office of Management and Budget, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The White House defended the actions, calling the CFPB a “woke, weaponized arm of the bureaucracy” that unfairly targets certain industries.
A termination memo dated February 11, issued by acting human resources chief Adam Martinez, cited an employee’s lack of “fit” with the agency’s current needs. The firings come after the White House sought recommendations on probationary employees across federal agencies.
Elizabeth Aniskevich, a senior litigation counsel in the enforcement division since June, was among those dismissed. She contested the decision, noting her strong academic and professional record. “I have succeeded in every job that I’ve been in,” she said.
Vought’s leadership has already led to mass disruption at the CFPB. Top enforcement and supervision officials resigned, the deputy director was placed on administrative leave, and staff were instructed to stop working. The agency, a frequent conservative target since its 2010 creation, now faces an uncertain future.
Also read: Senate Advances Gabbard’s DNI Nomination in Party-Line Vote
