A security officer is seen working inside the headquarters of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in Washington, D.C. The building has been closed for the week, with staff and contractors advised not to perform any work.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
hide caption

toggle caption

Jacquelyn Martin/AP

On Tuesday morning, the heads of supervision and enforcement at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced their resignations. Both cited the recent stop-work orders issued by the agency’s acting Director Russell Vought.

The resignations of Lorelei Salas, the head of supervision, and Eric Halperin, the head of enforcement, were communicated to their teams through emails that NPR obtained from current and former CFPB employees. Both officials were appointed to their positions more than three years ago.

Prior to their resignations, both Salas and Halperin were put on leave by Mark Paoletta, general counsel for the White House Office of Management and Budget. However, the reasons for their leave remain unclear, as NPR could not verify the specific circumstances.

In her email, Salas expressed her concerns: “The Bureau has been instructed to stand down. I do not believe it is appropriate, nor lawful, to halt all supervisory activities and examinations, and I can no longer serve as the Supervision Director.”

Halperin echoed similar sentiments, stating, “I don’t believe that, under these circumstances, I can effectively function in my role of protecting American consumers. Since October 2021, we have secured orders for $9.5 billion in penalties and restitution for consumers. It has been a privilege to serve alongside you.”

Established in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the CFPB operates within the Federal Reserve System, receiving its funding from it. The bureau serves as a regulatory agency, overseeing companies nationwide to enforce consumer protection laws.

The CFPB has increasingly come under scrutiny from the Trump administration, leading to various efforts to impede its functions. Recently, employees from Elon Musk’s DOGE team gained access to essential systems at the CFPB as part of broader changes initiated by an executive order.

After Vought’s appointment as the acting head of the CFPB, he announced that he would not request funding for the bureau during its next financial cycle. He directed staff to suspend all agency activities, including oversight, and informed them that CFPB’s headquarters would be closed for a week, prohibiting any work-related tasks.

Rohit Chopra, the agency’s former leader, was dismissed by President Trump earlier this month. On NPR’s Morning Edition, he discussed the vital role the CFPB plays in safeguarding consumers, emphasizing the importance of its halted operations. “Every day, we protect consumers from various types of fraud and abuse,” Chopra noted, referencing lawsuits filed against major banks such as JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo. He expressed concern over the uncertain future of the agency’s consumer protection efforts.