Vought takes over CFPB, closes DC office

NPR on Sunday reported that Russell Vought, confirmed last week as Director of the Office of Management and Budget, has been appointed the new Acting Director of the CFPB.

Staff and contractors at the CFPB were notified by email that the Bureau's Washington headquarters will be "closed this week" and they must work remotely. No reason was given for the closure, and the message did not mention when the office would reopen. Representatives of Elon Musk DOGE team were reportedly seen at the headquarters on Friday.

In a separate email send to staff on Saturday, Vought directed CFPB staff to cease supervision of banks and businesses and cease any pending investigations. Previous orders had been given to halt most of the agency's work, including suspending the effective dates of all rules that have been issued but have not yet gone into effect.

Vought anounced on his X account Saturday evening that he has notified the Federal Reserve that the CFPB will not be taking its next draw of funding. The Bureau's home page shows a "404: Page Not Found" warning, but links on that page appear to be working as of 8:45 EST February 10, 2025. NPR reports that DOGE staffers took control of the Bureau's social media accounts and deleted them.