The Trump administration is facing accusations of “bullying and intimidation” following the investigation and suspension of a labor union leader at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
Stephen Wheeler, who has worked as a data scientist at the agency since 2022 and serves as chair of the CFPB union organizing committee, was placed on immediate administrative leave earlier this month. The union stated that it received no specific reasons for his suspension or details about the ongoing investigation.
The CFPB, which was established by Democratic senator Elizabeth Warren to safeguard consumers in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, has been frequently criticized by Republicans.
When Donald Trump appointed Russell Vought, who is known for his conservative stance through Project 2025, to lead the agency last February, Elon Musk remarked on X, “CFPB RIP.”
The National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 335 represents workers at the agency and highlighted that Wheeler had actively participated in union demonstrations, sitting behind Vought during congressional testimony in July. He had also recently spoken with NPR about staff relocations within the agency.
Many employees perceive these relocations and mandates to return to office work as tactics to encourage resignations after an appeals court prevented mass firings at the CFPB initiated by the Trump administration in June 2026.
“An investigation with no stated scope or scale is no investigation – it’s a fishing expedition,” Wheeler said. “I have nothing to hide, and when the facts are examined this will be seen for what it is: bullying and intimidation for union activity and protected speech.”
Another union member, Alexis Goldstein, was also placed on administrative leave in February 2025 before being terminated in February 2026 after she challenged personnel from Elon Musk’s so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge), questioning their qualifications regarding data access at the agency.
“CFPB is illegally retaliating against me for trying to do my job. I acted to protect sensitive data belonging to Americans and trade secrets of major banks from individuals associated with Doge who lacked proper credentials and training,” Goldstein stated following her dismissal in February.
The union has filed a grievance concerning her termination and is awaiting arbitration that has reportedly been postponed due to an official from CFPB being on leave.
Since Trump’s second term began, there have been efforts from his administration to dismantle the CFPB. Budget director Vought advocated for abolishing the agency altogether while halting much of its operations back in February 2025.
Earlier this year, nearly 4,000 pages were removed from the agency’s website including all press releases issued prior to February 2025.
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According to union representatives, every $1 spent on maintaining this agency generates $2.80 back for consumers-totaling over $21 billion returned since 2010 for those misled by corporate fraudsters.
Other employees at CFPB have criticized Wheeler’s investigation claiming it’s retaliatory and meant to intimidate him.
“Our union will not be cowed by these bush league tactics aimed at silencing us,” Doug Wilson, a member of both the union and staff at CFPB said in a statement.
“If this administration thinks mysterious investigations into public servants like Steve [Wheeler] will scare us into silence again, they clearly underestimated our resolve,” Tyler Creighton another member expressed in a statement.
Ravisha Kumar added , ” Yet again , here ’ s a poorly executed attempt by this administration t o silence us through intimidation. Yet again , we ’ ll just get louder. ”
The C F P B d i d n ‘ t r e s p o n d t o m u lt i p l e r e q u e s t s f o r c o m m e n t.
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