Acting head of Social Security Administration Michelle King resigns after dispute with DOGE: report

The Social Security Administration’s Acting Commissioner Resigns Amid Dispute

The acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, Michelle King, reportedly resigned over the weekend following a dispute with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) regarding access to sensitive government records by the Elon Musk-led group.

King, a career federal worker with over 30 years of experience at SSA, quit over the DOGE disagreement on Saturday. She was replaced by Leland Dudek, who supports DOGE’s efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in the federal government.

Dudek will serve as the acting commissioner until President Trump’s nominee, Frank Bisignano, is confirmed by the Senate.

DOGE staff at SSA sought access to sensitive files similar to their activities at other federal agencies, including the Treasury Department, as part of Trump’s cost-cutting initiative.

SSA manages Social Security payments for over 70 million Americans and holds vast amounts of personal data, including Social Security Numbers, work and pay history, and banking information. The agency also maintains medical records of Americans applying for disability benefits.

The specific information sought by DOGE that led to King’s resignation remains unclear.

White House spokesperson Harrison Fields stated, “President Trump has nominated the highly qualified Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration, and we expect his swift confirmation. In the meantime, the agency will be led by a career anti-fraud expert as the acting commissioner.”

King’s resignation coincides with Elon Musk’s scrutiny of alleged Social Security fraud, including cases of 150-year-old individuals receiving benefits and suspicions of self-dealing among federal workers.

Musk expressed disbelief at finding 20 million people listed in the Social Security database as over 100 years old, calling it potentially “the biggest fraud in history.”

SSA pays out approximately $1.5 trillion in social security benefits annually, and Trump has assured not to cut benefits for seniors.