MARYLAND — Former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigator Alexis Goldstein announced her candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat in Maryland's 6th congressional district, days after being fired from the agency in February 2026. She is challenging incumbent April McClain Delaney for the seat.

Goldstein had been placed on administrative leave for about a year before her termination. The events leading to her dismissal began on February 6, 2025, when members of the Department of Government Efficiency arrived at the CFPB.

Goldstein used her phone to take pictures of the arrivals, and the images included computer screens. CFPB leadership alleged that she violated agency information security rules because her photographs captured those screens.

The Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, is an initiative led by Elon Musk. On X, Musk wrote, "Delete CFPB."

In June 2025, the CFPB's inspector general questioned Goldstein about her actions and the actions of DOGE. In December 2025, she received a letter proposing her termination. The letter included an inspector general document finding no wrongdoing. Goldstein was ultimately fired in February 2026, weeks before she announced her congressional run.

Before being placed on leave, Goldstein worked on an inquiry into big tech payment platforms, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Cash App. Attorneys for companies including Apple and Amazon argued that the data requested in that inquiry were trade secrets and sensitive. The inquiry had been among her responsibilities at the bureau prior to her administrative leave.