The Social Safety Administration’s appearing commissioner reportedly resigned over the weekend after a dispute with the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE) over the Elon Musk-headed group’s efforts to entry delicate authorities data.
Michelle King, a profession federal employee who had been with SSA since 1994, give up over the DOGE disagreement Saturday and was changed by Leland Dudek, the Washington Publish reported on Monday.
Dudek, who has been supportive of DOGE’s efforts to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the federal authorities, will function appearing commissioner of SSA till President Trump’s choose to steer the company, Frank Bisignano, is confirmed by the Senate, based on the outlet.
DOGE staffers embedded at SSA reportedly sought entry to delicate recordsdata in the identical method they’ve at different federal businesses, such because the Treasury Division, since Trump established the cost-cutting initiative.
SSA, which manages Social Safety funds for greater than 70 million Individuals, holds troves of private information.
The company has an inventory of each Social Safety Quantity that has ever been issued in addition to work and pay historical past and banking data for hundreds of thousands of Individuals.
SSA additionally retains the medical data of Individuals who’ve utilized for incapacity advantages.
It’s unclear what particular data sought by DOGE led to King’s resignation.
“President Trump has nominated the extremely certified and gifted Frank Bisignano to steer the Social Safety Administration, and we count on him to be swiftly confirmed within the coming weeks,” White Home spokesperson Harrison Fields mentioned in an announcement to The Publish.
“Within the meantime, the company will probably be led by a profession Social Safety anti-fraud skilled because the appearing commissioner,” Fields added. “President Trump is dedicated to appointing one of the best and most certified people who’re devoted to engaged on behalf of the American folks, to not appease the paperwork that has failed them for a lot too lengthy.”
The SSA didn’t instantly reply to The Publish’s request for remark.
King’s resignation comes as DOGE chief Elon Musk has lately been scrutinizing alleged Social Safety fraud, claiming to have discovered cases of 150-year-old folks amassing Social Safety advantages and suspiciously wealthy federal employees who he suspects of self-dealing.
The Tesla and X CEO-turned-special authorities worker expressed disbelief on Sunday after uncovering that 20 million persons are listed within the Social Safety database as over the age of 100 years outdated.
“This could be the largest fraud in historical past,” Musk wrote on X.
SSA pays out about $1.5 trillion in social safety advantages yearly.
Trump has pledged to not minimize the social safety advantages for seniors.
Supply hyperlink
