The Social Security Administration’s (SSA) acting commissioner, Michelle King, resigned over the weekend following a dispute with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) regarding the Elon Musk-led group’s efforts to access sensitive government records, The Washington Post reported Monday.

King, who had been with SSA since 1994, stepped down on Saturday and was replaced by Leland Dudek, a federal official who has been supportive of DOGE’s mission to identify and eliminate government waste, fraud, and abuse.

REPORT: @SocialSecurity Admin’s Acting Commissioner Resigns After Refusing To Cooperate With @POTUS Trump’s @DOGE Team Auditing The Agency.
Michelle King, A Career Federal Bureaucrat With The SSA Since 1994, Quit Rather Cooperate With DOGE As The President Ordered!
King Was… pic.twitter.com/fQqlGLMpWA

— John Basham (@JohnBasham) February 18, 2025

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

Since Trump established DOGE as part of his administration’s cost-cutting initiative, its staff has embedded itself within multiple federal agencies, including the Treasury Department.

At SSA, DOGE officials reportedly sought access to sensitive files as part of their effort to identify fraud in government benefit programs.

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The SSA oversees Social Security payments for over 70 million Americans and maintains extensive personal data records, including every Social Security number issued, work and pay history, banking information, and medical records for disability applicants.

It is unclear what specific information DOGE requested that led to King’s resignation.

A White House spokesperson reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to placing trusted officials in leadership roles at SSA.

“President Trump has nominated the highly qualified and talented Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration, and we expect him to be swiftly confirmed in the coming weeks,” White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said in a statement to The Washington Post.

“In the meantime, the agency will be led by a career Social Security anti-fraud expert as the acting commissioner,” Fields continued.

“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.”

SSA has not yet responded to requests for comment on King’s resignation or DOGE’s access to agency records.

King’s resignation comes as Musk has intensified scrutiny of potential fraud within the Social Security system.

The Tesla and X CEO, who has taken on a special government role under the Trump administration, has claimed to have uncovered fraudulent cases of individuals listed as over 100 years old receiving Social Security benefits.

“This might be the biggest fraud in history,” Musk wrote on X, reacting to the report having 60 million more people than the population of the United States.

Yes, there are FAR more “eligible” social security numbers than there are citizens in the USA.

This might be the biggest fraud in history.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 17, 2025

Musk has also pointed to suspiciously wealthy federal employees whom he believes may be engaging in fraudulent activity within the system.

His findings have sparked concerns that SSA’s records contain inaccuracies that could be leading to improper payments.

SSA distributes approximately $1.5 trillion in benefits annually. Amid concerns about fraud, Trump has repeatedly assured Americans that his administration will not cut Social Security benefits for seniors.

As the administration moves forward with efforts to reform government agencies, the resignation of SSA’s acting commissioner underscores the tension between federal bureaucracies and Trump’s push for transparency and efficiency.

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