Washington, D.C. – Michelle King, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA), has resigned from her position following requests by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) for access to sensitive Social Security recipient information, according to sources close to the situation.
King, who served the SSA for over 30 years, stepped down over the weekend after she reportedly refused to comply with DOGE’s demands for access to private data. Her departure was confirmed by two individuals familiar with the matter, who were not authorized to speak publicly.
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The White House has quickly moved to replace King, appointing Leland Dudek, a current SSA employee, as the new acting commissioner.
In response to inquiries, CNN has reached out to the Social Security Administration for comment. White House spokesperson Harrison Fields issued a statement saying, “President Trump has nominated the highly qualified and talented Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration, and we expect him to be swiftly confirmed in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the agency will be led by a career Social Security anti-fraud expert as the acting commissioner.” Fields emphasized the administration’s commitment to appointing individuals who work for the American people rather than bureaucratic interests.
This incident adds to a series of high-level resignations from federal agencies, with concerns mounting over DOGE’s attempts to access sensitive databases, including those of the Treasury and IRS. Since President Donald Trump’s return to office, his advisor Elon Musk has been noted for his influence within federal agencies via the DOGE group, often without public oversight.
Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy group, expressed grave concern regarding the potential breach, stating, “There is no way to overstate how serious a breach this is. And my understanding is that it has already occurred.” She highlighted the critical nature of the data held by the SSA, which includes personal information on virtually all Americans with a Social Security number, Medicare recipients, and those under the Supplemental Security Income program.
Altman warned of the dire implications of such data being mishandled, including the potential for malicious actions like erasing someone’s earnings record, which would affect their eligibility for Social Security and Medicare benefits.
The controversy comes at a time when Social Security’s future is a hot-button political issue, underscored by the 2024 election, where it was a central topic. Approximately 72.5 million individuals, ranging from retirees to children, rely on these benefits.
