KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The previous acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration left after Elon Musk’s DOGE attempt to access sensitive government records.
- Lee Dudek has been appointed the administration’s acting commissioner pending the Senate Confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominee.
- Dudek said DOGE is critical to the agency and clarified that DOGE personnel can read but cannot change sensitive government data.
The Social Security Administration’s interim leader set out to clear the air Wednesday after tumult over the weekend.
Lee Dudek, a long-time Social Security worker, has been appointed the administration’s acting commissioner pending the Senate Confirmation of President Donald Trump’s nominee, Frank Bisignano. Dudek takes up the mantel after Michelle King’s departure over the weekend.
King, who was named the Social Security Administration’s acting commissioner last month, left the post this weekend after Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees attempted to access sensitive government records, the Washington Post reported.
President Donald Trump tasked the unofficial government agency led by Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk with cutting government spending. According to AP News, DOGE has already accessed other sensitive government data, including Treasury data with Social Security and Medicare customer payment systems, and is seeking sensitive taxpayer data at the IRS.
Dudek said in a statement on Wednesday that DOGE “is a critical part of President Trump’s commitment to identifying fraud, waste, and abuse, and better ways for the government to function to support its people.”
He clarified that DOGE personnel can read but cannot change the agency’s systems, benefit payments, or other information. Additionally, Dudek said the Social Security Administration does not expect any interruption in payment or services.
Dudek has also invited the Government Accountability Office, a non-partisan and independent agency that works for Congress, to observe the Social Security Administration.