Musk's DOGE Team Embeds in Social Security, Raising Concerns of Cuts and Fraud Investigations

Elon Musk's DOGE Team Embeds in Social Security Administration

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has embedded at least 10 employees within the Social Security Administration (SSA). This move comes amidst claims from Musk and former President Donald Trump that millions of dead people are receiving benefits.

According to court documents, seven DOGE employees have been granted access to Americans' Social Security data and personally identifiable information. However, their access level does not allow them to change beneficiary data or payments. Instead, they can review records to detect fraud.

The inclusion of DOGE employees in the SSA has raised concerns among the agency's staff and opponents of DOGE. They fear that Musk is laying the groundwork for significant cuts to Social Security, the nation's largest and most popular program.

Social Security Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek expressed his concerns in a closed-door meeting, stating that allowing DOGE to make sweeping changes would be catastrophic for the American people.

The DOGE team at the SSA includes four "special government employees" and six people detailed from other offices. Their goal is to detect fraud, waste, and abuse within the agency.

One of the DOGE staffers is Marko Elez, who previously resigned from the administration after racist statements he made online were uncovered. Elez was mistakenly given "read/write" permissions to write over payment systems at the Treasury Department. He has since moved to the SSA.

The latest developments follow a lawsuit from federal workers' unions calling on a judge to block DOGE's "unprecedented data grab." Trump and Musk have repeatedly suggested cuts to Social Security and other federal programs to justify significant reductions in government spending.

They have also amplified claims that tens of millions of dead Americans are collecting Social Security checks. However, according to an inspector general's report, there were roughly $72 billion in improper Social Security payments over a seven-year period, with less than 1% representing fraud.

The SSA has also abandoned plans to stop millions of people from filing retirement and disability claims by phone following criticism. The agency stated that current phone protocols are no longer sufficient to prevent fraud.

DOGE has denied these claims, stating that they are protecting seniors by ensuring bank accounts are not changed without proper authentication. They also clarified that all other phone services remain unchanged.