Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been scrutinizing the Social Security Administration (SSA), and Michelle King’s recent resignation from the agency is part of a growing trend of senior officials leaving their organizations. Following his refusal to grant DOGE access to extremely private government documents at the SSA, King resigned. The information in question included dates of birth, marital status, wage records, bank account information, Social Security numbers, and, in certain circumstances, medical records related to disability benefits, according to people familiar with the matter.
According to Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, an advocacy organization that focuses on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, King was replaced because she refused to provide access to such private and sensitive information. According to Altman, King’s departure was not a direct dismissal but rather a personal choice in reaction to the White House’s decision to deny her a position. Additionally, Altman underscored the gravity of the hack, stating, “The Social Security Administration has a lot of personal data that most people would like to keep private and they entrusted to the government through tax returns and through their employers sending in earning statements.” The government is expected to handle it with extreme caution.
Harrison Fields, the White House spokesperson, confirmed King’s departure in a statement, adding that Frank Bisignano was President Trump’s choice to head the SSA. Fields said he expects Bisignano to be confirmed quickly and that a career anti-fraud specialist would operate as acting commissioner in the meantime. “President Trump is committed to appointing the best and most qualified individuals who are dedicated to working on behalf of the American people, not to appease the bureaucracy that has failed them for far too long,” Fields added, also emphasizing his commitment to selecting highly qualified individuals who would work in the best interests of the American people.
King is the most recent in a string of high-ranking leaders whose organizations DOGE has been looking into leaving. The Department, which was established under Elon Musk’s direction, is charged with examining government operations, including those at the Social Security Administration (SSA), which handles payments for more than 70 million Americans. Even if DOGE’s findings indicate that widespread fraud may be taking place within the SSA, President Trump has promised not to reduce retirement benefits. According to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump instructed Musk and the DOGE team to find SSA fraud. Leavitt stated that the team suspected serious fraudulent conduct, even though they hadn’t thoroughly examined the agency’s records.
According to a July audit by the SSA’s inspector general, fraud in the system may not be as pervasive as some have suggested, as only 0.84% of benefits payments from 2015 to 2022 were unlawful. However, DOGE’s assertive approach to gaining access to private government information still causes worry.
Over time, the conflict between DOGE and government agencies has intensified, and other departments are now being scrutinized as well. Concerns over privacy issues were raised when it was disclosed earlier this month that an IRS employee with a DOGE affiliation was attempting to obtain private taxpayer data. Additionally, DOGE gained access to the Treasury Department’s payment system, which contains private financial data, including Social Security numbers. Numerous lawsuits alleging DOGE’s violation of federal privacy laws followed this action. Attorneys at the Justice Department responded by temporarily limiting DOGE’s access to Treasury systems, allowing only two employees to “read-only” access data when necessary. A judge also temporarily blocked access to secret Treasury Department data by political appointees and special government workers, including DOGE employees.
The SSA is just one aspect of the controversy regarding DOGE’s operations. President Trump gave Musk permission to access catastrophe data stored by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), according to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem. This illustrates even further how DOGE’s power and reach are growing throughout the government. A growing number of senior officials are leaving or being replaced, raising questions about the long-term effects of DOGE’s practices. Opponents contend that public safety and privacy may be jeopardized if private sector executives, such as Elon Musk and his group, are given unfettered access to confidential government data.
The exit of Michelle King from the SSA is a significant turning point in a growing trend of people leaving high-level government positions that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is looking into. The circumstance draws attention to the conflict that exists within the US government between efficiency changes and the preservation of private information. A major topic of discussion in the upcoming months will be how to strike a balance between openness, public accountability, and the privacy of Americans as these events develop.
