President Donald Trump has appointed Leland Dudek, an expert in fraud detection, to lead the Social Security Administration (SSA). Dudek will serve as acting commissioner while the Senate vets Frank Bisignano, Trump's nominee for permanent commissioner.
Dudek replaces Michelle King, a 30-year SSA veteran who resigned after refusing to provide sensitive records to Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency team. Musk has highlighted potential fraud in federal entitlement programs, claiming it "exceeds the combined sum of every private scam you've ever heard by FAR."
The selection of Dudek reportedly upset more senior SSA officials who felt passed over by the move. The agency has long struggled with budget and staffing issues, which former SSA Commissioner Martin O'Malley believes will worsen with DOGE's involvement and leadership changes.
King's departure follows similar incidents across federal agencies, most recently a dispute over DOGE's access to taxpayer information at the Internal Revenue Service. A federal judge is expected to rule on DOGE's access to IRS and other data Tuesday afternoon.
6 Comments
Coccinella
A president who values loyalty over competence will weaken the SSA further, especially with all the current staffing and budget issues.
Marishka
Finally, someone with fraud detection expertise is taking charge! The SSA needs fresh eyes to root out waste and abuse.
Pupsik
When senior officials are upset and sidelined, that’s the first sign of internal turmoil waiting to explode.
Marishka
It’s hard to trust an agency when the leadership is being reshuffled like a deck of cards for political reasons.
Pupsik
Replacing a 30‐year veteran like Michelle King with someone politically appointed shows blatant favoritism.
Cerebro
Let’s give Dudek the benefit of the doubt. A dangerous problem like fraud requires someone who specializes in it.