Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek initially threatened to shut down operations at the agency after a federal judge blocked Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive data at the agency. The judge granted a request from union groups to stop DOGE affiliates from accessing personal information, including Social Security numbers, medical records, and tax information. Dudek criticized the ruling and threatened to terminate access to sensitive data for all agency employees.
However, U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander clarified that only employees involved with DOGE activities were affected by the ruling, not all agency staff. Dudek, after receiving this clarification, stated that he would not shut down the agency and that operations would continue under the temporary restraining order.
This controversy follows previous attempts by DOGE employees to access private data at other federal agencies. In February, a federal judge blocked DOGE staffers from accessing sensitive data at the Treasury Department after a lawsuit was filed by 19 state attorneys general. Another DOGE staffer was granted limited access to anonymized taxpayer information at the IRS after an agreement was reached.
Dudek’s predecessor, Michelle King, resigned after refusing to comply with DOGE’s requests to access sensitive government records at the agency. This situation highlights the ongoing tension between federal agencies and DOGE over access to private data and the limits of their authority.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
