Federal employees from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) have raised concerns that the bureau’s Trump-appointed leadership and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) intend to execute massive layoffs.

Employees testified that CFPB leaders and Elon Musk’s DOGE want to wind down the agency to five employees, the minimum required under law.

In a trove of statements released late Thursday, federal employees said that the mass layoff was discussed in meetings they attended this month.

The operation was driven with a frenetic focus by the billionaire, who channeled his resentment of regulatory oversight into a drastic overhaul of government agencies.

Elon Musk's speculation about dead or fictitious employees comes after numerous federal workers were told to ignore an email asking them to justify their jobs. Previous government reviews found no evidence of widespread payroll fraud.