A federal courtroom heard chilling testimony: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), designed to shield Americans from financial predators, was thrown into "wind-down mode" after President Trump's controversial dismissal of its director, Rohit Chopra. But what really happened behind closed doors?
Adam Martinez, the CFPB's chief operating officer, painted a stark picture. Following Chopra's February 1st firing, the agency's operations were abruptly suspended, a staggering $100 million in contracts were canceled, and 70 employees were terminated. This wasn't a reorganization; it was a gutting.
"I don’t want to say, ‘normal,’ but we’re operating." - Adam Martinez, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the turmoil.
Judge Amy Berman Jackson, presiding over a lawsuit aimed at preventing the CFPB's dismantling, sought clarity amidst "conflicting visions" of the agency's state. Martinez revealed a shift in approach after the initial shock, particularly following the arrival of representatives from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Martinez recounted the unsettling arrival of Christopher Young, a DOGE official, ahead of scheduled engineers. Their mission? "Very specific access" to the agency's systems and operational data, an access Martinez described as resembling an "audit."
The atmosphere grew increasingly bizarre. Martinez described CFPB employees "circling the hallway" outside the DOGE's conference room. A person with a baby carriage allegedly photographed them through a window. An employee even confronted the DOGE representatives, snapping pictures of their laptops.
"It was very contentious," Martinez stated, highlighting the tense standoff that required security intervention.
The National Treasury Employees Union, representing over 1,000 CFPB workers, sued to block mass firings, arguing the administration lacked the authority to dismantle a Congressionally-created agency. Government lawyers countered, accusing the plaintiffs of attempting to place the CFPB in a "judicially managed receivership."
Judge Jackson directly questioned the administration's contract cancellation strategy, asking if it resembled a "shoot first and ask questions later" approach. Martinez's blunt response? "That’s what it felt like."
While Martinez testified that most canceled contracts have since been reactivated, the chilling effect of the initial purge and the lingering "stop work" order remain palpable.
Despite the turmoil, Martinez expressed a flicker of optimism: "I think people want to go back to work, and they want to do the work they were hired to do." Judge Jackson's upcoming ruling will determine whether that hope can be realized, or if the CFPB will remain a casualty of political warfare.