Acting SSA Commissioner Resigns Amid Dispute with Elon Musk's DOGE Over Data Access
Michelle King, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), resigned over the weekend following a dispute with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) regarding access to sensitive government records. King, who had served at the SSA for over three decades and was appointed acting commissioner in January, stepped down after resisting DOGE staffers’ attempts to access private taxpayer information, according to multiple reports.
The SSA oversees benefit disbursements for over 70 million Americans and manages extensive personal data, including employment history and residential addresses. King’s refusal to grant DOGE access to this sensitive information reportedly led to her departure. The dispute has raised concerns among lawmakers and former officials, including Martin O’Malley, the SSA commissioner during the Biden administration, who warned that such actions could disrupt benefit delivery.
Elon Musk, who leads DOGE, has defended the agency’s efforts to streamline government operations and reduce waste, claiming that fraud in federal entitlement programs is rampant. However, critics argue that DOGE’s access to sensitive data poses significant privacy risks. The White House has announced that Frank Bisignano has been nominated to lead the SSA, with Leland Dudek, an anti-fraud expert, serving as acting commissioner in the interim.
King’s resignation underscores growing tensions between federal agencies and DOGE, as the latter seeks to implement sweeping changes to government operations under the Trump administration. Her departure marks another high-profile exit in a series of clashes between career officials and Musk’s team over access to sensitive government systems.
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