A senior figure in Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) allegedly screamed at staff and forced them to work 36 hours without rest to rush through mass layoffs at the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), according to a sworn court statement filed on Friday, as per news agency Reuters.
The employee, who submitted the statement using a pseudonym out of fear of retaliation, claimed DOGE member Gavin Kliger created a high-pressure environment to ensure that firing notices went out on Thursday. “Gavin was screaming at people he did not believe were working fast enough… calling them incompetent,” the statement said, as per Reuters.
The mass firings—reportedly cutting 1,500 employees and leaving just 200 at the bureau—were part of a controversial plan championed by the Trump administration and spearheaded by Musk’s DOGE initiative. The agency, established after the 2008 financial crisis to protect consumers from fraud and abuse, has long faced criticism from conservatives and businesses for its regulatory powers.
US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson blocked the immediate execution of the layoffs, expressing concern that Trump officials were ignoring her earlier ruling to preserve the bureau’s structure until legal arguments were fully heard. At a court hearing, Jackson barred officials from proceeding with the firings or revoking employees’ computer access and scheduled a new hearing for April 28 to scrutinise the reduction-in-force process.
Emails sent to staff on Thursday confirmed their termination, stating their positions had been identified for elimination. Their system access is expected to be cut off by Friday evening.
The National Treasury Employees Union challenged the firings, arguing that the administration had failed to make proper individual assessments as required by a court ruling earlier in the week. “It is unfathomable that cutting the Bureau’s staff by 90 percent in just 24 hours… would not interfere with the performance of its statutory duties,” the union stated.
Meanwhile, internal communications from the agency’s legal chief Mark Paoletta revealed a narrowed focus for the CFPB. Enforcement activities will now shift away from broad oversight, with priority given to mortgage-related complaints. Consumer issues involving medical debt, student loans, and digital payments—including platforms like Musk’s X—will be deprioritised.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, who helped establish the CFPB, accused Trump of dismantling an agency designed to protect Americans from corporate abuse.
The employee, who submitted the statement using a pseudonym out of fear of retaliation, claimed DOGE member Gavin Kliger created a high-pressure environment to ensure that firing notices went out on Thursday. “Gavin was screaming at people he did not believe were working fast enough… calling them incompetent,” the statement said, as per Reuters.
The mass firings—reportedly cutting 1,500 employees and leaving just 200 at the bureau—were part of a controversial plan championed by the Trump administration and spearheaded by Musk’s DOGE initiative. The agency, established after the 2008 financial crisis to protect consumers from fraud and abuse, has long faced criticism from conservatives and businesses for its regulatory powers.
US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson blocked the immediate execution of the layoffs, expressing concern that Trump officials were ignoring her earlier ruling to preserve the bureau’s structure until legal arguments were fully heard. At a court hearing, Jackson barred officials from proceeding with the firings or revoking employees’ computer access and scheduled a new hearing for April 28 to scrutinise the reduction-in-force process.
Emails sent to staff on Thursday confirmed their termination, stating their positions had been identified for elimination. Their system access is expected to be cut off by Friday evening.
The National Treasury Employees Union challenged the firings, arguing that the administration had failed to make proper individual assessments as required by a court ruling earlier in the week. “It is unfathomable that cutting the Bureau’s staff by 90 percent in just 24 hours… would not interfere with the performance of its statutory duties,” the union stated.
Meanwhile, internal communications from the agency’s legal chief Mark Paoletta revealed a narrowed focus for the CFPB. Enforcement activities will now shift away from broad oversight, with priority given to mortgage-related complaints. Consumer issues involving medical debt, student loans, and digital payments—including platforms like Musk’s X—will be deprioritised.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, who helped establish the CFPB, accused Trump of dismantling an agency designed to protect Americans from corporate abuse.
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