The departure of a high-ranking official marks the latest in a series of senior executives stepping down from their roles amid ongoing changes within Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Michelle King, who led the Social Security Administration, resigned over the weekend after declining a request from Musk’s department to access confidential government records within the agency.
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields confirmed in a statement that King had officially stepped down from her position.
We anticipate that Frank Bisignano, who is exceptionally smart and competent, will be confirmed quickly in the upcoming weeks as President Trump’s nominee to head the Social Security Administration. Meanwhile, an experienced Social Security anti-fraud specialist will serve as interim commissioner and lead the department
According to Fields, President Trump is devoted to selecting the most capable and best candidates who are committed to serving the American people, not to curry favor with the bureaucracy that has let them down for too long.
Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works—a progressive organization focused on protecting and expanding Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid—shared insights on the situation after speaking with several current officials at the agency, according to NBC News.
Altman, who has knowledge of the matter, revealed that the data in question included sensitive information such as bank account details, Social Security numbers, wage records, birth dates, marital status, and, in some cases, medical records for individuals who had applied for disability benefits.
Regarding King, Altman stated, “She was replaced as acting commissioner because she would not give access to the sensitive information.” As a result, someone who probably will took her place.
However, she was not compelled to quit the agency. She made that decision. The White House made the decision to remove her from her position as agency director.
In the absence of Michelle King, President Donald Trump has appointed Leland Dudek, a manager overseeing Social Security’s anti-fraud division, as the acting commissioner.
Altman blasted King and the Social Security Administration over DOGE’s request.
Altman stated, “I don’t think you can overstate how serious this breach is.” Most people would prefer to keep their personal information private, and they give it to the government through tax returns and earnings statements that their employers send in. This information is held by the Social Security Administration. It is assumed that the government will handle it with extreme caution.
According to Altman, King, who has spent decades working for the Social Security Administration, has decided to retire.
A request for comment was not immediately answered by the SSA.
It is the most recent in a series of departures from high-ranking officials whose organizations DOGE is targeting.
Over 70 million Americans rely on the agency to handle their payments. Trump has pledged that he will not reduce retirement benefits.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said that Trump “has directed Elon Musk and the DOGE team to identify fraud at the Social Security Administration” in an interview with Fox News. Despite not having “dug into the books,” the crew suspected extensive fraud, she claimed.
According to a July analysis by the SSA’s inspector general, only 0.84% of benefits payments between 2015 and 2022 were incorrect.
DOGE has already come under fire for actions used to get private data. An administration insider told NBC News on Sunday that a DOGE-affiliated IRS employee is likely to request access to an IRS system that contains private taxpayer data.
This month, DOGE also gained access to the Treasury Department’s payment system, which houses private financial data, including Social Security numbers. Following that, a number of cases were brought alleging that DOGE’s access to the data was illegal under federal privacy laws.
Attorneys at the Justice Department consented to temporarily limit DOGE’s access to Treasury Department systems, with the exception of two staff members who were granted “read only” access “as needed.”
Later, a judge temporarily barred special government workers, including those at DOGE, and political appointees from accessing private and sensitive data kept in the Treasury.
Additionally, this month, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that Trump gave Musk permission to view catastrophe data stored at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
