Acting Head of Social Security Administration Resigns After Conflict with Elon Musk's Department
Michelle King, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, resigned after a conflict with Elon Musk's DOGE over accessing sensitive government records. Leland Dudek has been appointed as interim overseer.
A demonstrator holds signs referencing democracy and Elon Musk during a protest at electric carmaker Tesla's showroom in Seattle, Washington, U.S., February 15, 2025. REUTERS/David Ryder
The acting head of the Social Security Administration abruptly left the agency following a clash with Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, according to a report.
Michelle King, the agency's acting commissioner, left her position over the weekend following a dust-up over Musk's DOGE trying to access sensitive government records, three people familiar with her exit told The Washington Post on Monday evening.
King was named to the role last month.
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Leland Dudek, overseer of the agency's fraud investigation office, has been appointed while the Senate vets an acting commissioner, with Frank Bisignano, President Donald Trump's nominee for the role, according to the report.
The Social Security Administration is an independent agency that manages the massive social insurance program that provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. The agency also assigns Social Security numbers and runs the Supplemental Security Income program.
Nancy Altman, president of the left-leaning Social Security Works, told the Post the dispute stemmed from DOGE's effort to access "SSA's sensitive files -- the same way they're trying to do at Labor and Treasury -- and the acting commissioner wouldn't give it, and she was replaced."
"There is no way to overstate how serious a breach this is," she told the newspaper.
