CFPB employees told to continue “performing statutorily required work”

The email, sent Sunday, came just before the CFPB and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) are set to appear before Judge Amy Berman Jackson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday for a hearing on claims that the Trump administration improperly sought to shut down the agency.

Bloomberg Law reported that Jackson already ruled against Trump administration efforts to fire some agency officials, namely Hampton Dellinger, who leads the Office of Special Counsel, which handles whistleblower complaints.

“It has come to my attention, however, that some employees have not been performing statutorily required work,” Martinez wrote in the email. “Employees should be performing work that is required by law and do not need to seek prior approval to do so.”

One of the key arguments presented by the NTEU is that acting CFPB Director Russell Vought instructed agency staff in February to stop all work “unless expressly approved by the Acting Director or required by law.”

Despite directing CFPB employees to fulfill required-by-law duties, Vought canceled over $100 million in contracts and halted consumer complaint reporting and other operations. He also ordered CFPB facilities closed starting Feb. 10, removed the agency’s name from its headquarters and initiated the lease cancellation process.

Bloomberg Law also reported that the CFPB set up a “CFPB tipline” account via a post on X that read, “Are you being pursued by CFPB enforcement or supervision staff, in violation of Acting Director Russ Vought’s stand down order? If so, DM us or send an email” to [email protected]”