‘Delays or Disruptions’: Senator Probes Social Security Link With DOGE
Warren wants answers about Trump official turning personal data to Elon Musk’s group
A Democratic senator is looking for answers from Donald Trump’s top official at the Social Security Administration about about reports regarding his decision to give the “Department of Government Efficiency,” or DOGE, improper and unauthorized access to Americans’ sensitive personal data – a decision that resulted in the agency placing that top official on administrative leave.
Sen Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, wrote to Leland Dudek, Trump’s acting Social Security commissioner, requesting information about reports regarding his decision to give DOGE — the team led by billionaire Elon Musk which is disrupting and dismantling functions across the federal government — improper and unauthorized access to Americans’ sensitive personal data.
The letter follows troubling reports indicating that Trump may have appointed Dudek acting commissioner as a reward for his facilitating DOGE’s illegal access to Social Security’s systems.
Nearly a century old, Social Security pays benefits to more than 70 million older, disabled and other eligible Americans.
In that time, the program has never missed a payment to an eligible beneficiary. However, Musk and DOGE meddling with the program’s administration and indiscriminately firing thousands of Social Security employees has now put that in jeopardy. (Full disclosure: The author of this article receives Social Security benefits.)
Since the start of the Trump administration, DOGE operatives have launched an attack on the Social Security Administration (SSA), closing at least 10 local offices, firing workers, and gaining access to internal systems that contain extremely sensitive personal information belonging to millions of Americans who receive Social Security benefits.
“This level of access for individuals not employed by SSA is unprecedented and alarming, and reports indicate that you played a key role in providing this access,” Warren wrote. “If DOGE officials interfere – either purposefully or accidentally – with their function, it could result in delays or disruptions to Americans’ Social Security benefits.”
Reporting by the Wall Street Journal indicates that Dudek had been “sharing information with nonagency personnel beginning in December, before Trump’s inauguration, and... pressured [career staff] to help DOGE representatives.”
These alarming actions prompted leaders at Social Security to place Dudek on leave, pending an investigation into his efforts on DOGE’s behalf. Dudek even appears to have corroborated reports of his actions in a now-deleted LinkedIn post.
“This is a deeply troubling set of facts, revealing that you may have acted against agency policy – or even illegally – to facilitate DOGE’s efforts to access SSA systems, and that President Trump then rewarded you by naming you Acting Commissioner,” Warren’s letter said.
The senator is seeking an answer from Dudek by Monday.
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