WASHINGTON — Angela Martin,senior enforcement attorney at the CFPB, told a congressionalcommittee on Wednesday that the bureau's Office of ConsumerResponse is referred to internally as the plantation.

Martin, who accused managers at the agency of racial and genderdiscrimination, said most, if not all employees in the consumerresponse office are African American.

“It's extremely hard to leave the plantation,” she said.

Martin also said an employee who immigrated to the U.S. and hadbecome a citizen told her a manager at the CFPB referred to him asan 'f'in' foreigner.'”

Additionally, Martin testified she was told she would have moresuccess at the bureau if she allowed male co-workers to claim herideas as their own.

Certain managers at the CFPB have adopted an authoritarian,untouchable, unaccountable and unanswerable management style,Martin told the House Financial Services Oversight andInvestigations Subcommittee hearing. “There is a pervasiveculture of retaliation and intimidation that silences employees andchills the workforce from exposing wrongdoing. Just two weeks ago,I learned of another employee who was retaliated against within twodays of filing a formal EEO complaint,” said Martin, who filed herown EEO complaint in February of 2013.

“Many employees have come to me and told me alarming stories oftheir own maltreatment and the retaliation that resulted when theyopposed mismanagement or exercised any individual right,” sheadded.

Martin told lawmakers she discussed her concerns with CFPBDirector Richard Cordray, who interviewed and hired her. Inresponse, Martin said Cordray told her he has inexperiencedmanagers.

“The mismanagement and abuse of authority have precluded me fromdoing my part to carry out the bureau's important mission. Indeed,today marks the 400th day that I have been isolated and preventedfrom performing any meaningful work,” she said in her testimony. “Inever received a fair shake at the bureau, and I have not beenassigned one case or enforcement matter during my entiretenure.”

Martin also said the CFPB's Office of Human Capital did not helpaddress her concerns.

“It's just an arm of management that's going to be used againstyou,” she said.

Martin claimed that many CFPB employees have shared stories ofdiscrimination with her but are afraid to speak publicly, addingthat coming forward may jeopardize her case at the bureau.

Congressional Democrats called to have the hearing canceled, charging thatthe investigation was politically motivated.

Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) asked Martinif she would like to see the CFPB weakened.

“We want to protect its existence. I'm not out to destroy thebureau,” she said.

CFPB officials were also invited to testify before thecommittee, but did not attend. As a result, the hearing onlyconsisted of one witness panel that consisted of Martin and MistyRaucci, former investigator for the Defense InvestigatorsGroup.

Martin also said she would like to see the CFPB increasetransparency.

Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) asked Martin if CFPB DirectorCordray contacted her personally about the case.

Martin said Cordray called her directly in August and told herto tell her attorneys to back down.

Ranking Member Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and other Democratspraised Martin for coming forward with her story and urged themajority to investigate matters of discrimination across allfederal agencies.