WASHINGTON, D.C. -

A senior enforcement attorney at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and an independent investigator offered more than two hours of testimony on Wednesday of alleged discrimination happening within the agency.

During a hearing orchestrated by the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Angela Martin told lawmakers about her ordeal at the bureau that according to her account goes back nearly two years.

“I am a victim of discrimination by the bureau dating back to May 2012, and I have suffered severe retaliation since December 2012 which continues through today,” Martin said in her opening statement.

“Sadly, my story is not unique. My colleagues likewise have suffered and are suffering at the hands of inexperienced, unaccountable managers. I am glad this hearing is being held because, based on my observations at the bureau, I have concluded that the bureau is sorely in need of effective oversight, and that bureau management needs to be held accountable, particularly with regards to its internal management practices,” Martin continued.

Martin shared that she has almost 19 years of civil service experience, including a decade as civilian attorney handling debt collection matters with the Judge Advocate General Corps. at Fort Bragg, one of the U.S. Army’s largest installations that’s located in North Carolina.

“I came to the bureau in June 2011 with hopes of enforcing federal consumer financial laws on a national level, and I dissolved my successful law practice to do so,” Martin said. “The mismanagement and abuse of authority have precluded me from doing my part to carry out the bureau’s important mission. Indeed, today marks the 400th day that I have been isolated and prevented from performing any meaningful work.

“I never received a fair shake at the bureau, and I have not been assigned one case or enforcement matter during my entire tenure,” she went on to say.

Martin told lawmakers she filed a discrimination complaint in December 2012 and sustained an immediate backlash. She alleged that supervisors told her counterclaims would be filed if she followed through with a discrimination suit against the CFPB.

Martin also asserted colleagues have filed claims because of alleged discrimination as recently as two weeks ago.

“Many employees have come to me and told me alarming stories of their own maltreatment and the retaliation that resulted when they opposed mismanagement or exercised any individual right. Essentially, certain managers have adopted an authoritarian, untouchable, unaccountable and unanswerable management style,” Martin said at Wednesday’s hearing.

“It is critical for management to be held accountable and for the bureau to be subject to real and effective oversight so as to effectuate its Congressional mandate, enabling its staff to focus on its vital mission. This oversight must be accomplished for the sake of the bureau’s duty to consumers and its directive to ensure that businesses that refrain from breaking federal consumer financial laws are not competitively disadvantaged,” she continued.

“My individual story is a microcosm of the larger story of what happens to individuals within the bureau when they step forward with complaints of wrongdoing. I hope that the bureau will recognize that it must take steps to foster a culture in which employees are able to raise concerns without fear of reprisal. I urge this committee to approach its duties of oversight diligently and expeditiously for the sake of my colleagues who are suffering in silence even as we speak, and to enable the bureau to carry out is mission,” Martin went on to say.

The independent investigator assigned to Martin’s case corroborated the alleged discrimination during her testimony on Wednesday. Misty Raucci is a former investigator at Defense Investigators Group, a firm based in Hanson, Mass., and told lawmakers that she spent six months investigating Martin’s claims.

“I became a veritable hotline for employees at the CFPB, who called to discuss their own maltreatment at the bureau, mainly at the hands of Scott Pluta or Dane D’Alessandro,” Raucci said. “The sum of my findings was that Scott Pluta retaliated against Angela Martin after she filed a formal complaint of discrimination and retaliation.

“In concert with at least three facilitators, Mr. Pluta effectively removed Ms. Martin from her position as chief counsel of consumer response, and saw her relegated to a lesser position in another office. Mr. Pluta attempted to justify Ms. Martin’s removal by expressing doubt as to her ability to perform her duties as chief counsel; however, his criticisms largely occurred after she filed her complaint. This was a major indicator that Mr. Pluta’s rationale for demoting Ms. Martin for what he perceived as shortcomings was masking his other motives,” Raucci continued.

Raucci wrapped up her opening statement by mentioning the bureau’s Human Capital Office is in receipt of “extensive documentation” that the Defense Investigators Group gathered.

“The evidence of the documentation suggests a pervasive disregard for employee rights that is entrenched in the Office of Consumer Response,” Raucci said. “Those responsible for curtailing Mr. Pluta’s activities were apparently compelled to ignore, cover, or downplay them instead of taking corrective action. The corrosive environment of the CFPB workplace was engendered by the bureau’s perpetual failure to uphold its own (equal employment opportunity) policies.”

The House committee invited Liza Strong, the bureau’s director of employee relations, to testify, but she did not appear at Wednesday’s hearing.

SubPrime Auto Finance News reached out to the CFPB to obtain reaction to Wednesday’s proceedings. In a statement, bureau director Richard Cordray said, “I take seriously the concerns raised at (Wednesday’s) hearing and deeply apologize to any member of the CFPB staff who feels that they have not been heard or treated fairly. I welcome the opportunity to appear before Congress to discuss these issues fully.”

After more than an hour of questioning, one committee member gave an emotional outburst when her turn arrived to have the hearing floor. Rep. Ann Wagner is a Missouri Republican.

“I would also note that the bureau, the CFPB is absent from this hearing,” Wagner said. “Ms. Martin, I cannot thank you enough for being here, coming forward and your courageousness and leadership. We’ve heard words today like heartbroken, alarmed, stunned and moved. I am outraged is what I am. As a woman, as a legislator, as an American, I am outraged with what you’ve been through. You will have justice Ms. Martin. We as a Congress must make it stop. The CFPB must have oversight. It must have accountability. And it must have transparency. This is absolutely egregious.”