The top official’s departure is the latest in a wave of exits of senior officials whose agencies have come into the crosshairs of Elon Musk’s Department of…
Michelle King, the top official at the Social Security Administration, left her position this weekend after she refused a request from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to access sensitive government records at the agency, according to two sources familiar with the situation.
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields confirmed in a statement that King was no longer the head of the agency.
“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. In the meantime, the agency will be led by a career Social Security anti-fraud expert as the acting commissioner. 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,” Fields said.
The Washington Post first reported King’s departure.
One of the sources familiar with the situation, Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, a left-leaning group focused on protecting and expanding Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, told NBC News she learned of the situation after having spoken with several current officials at the agency.
Altman said some of the information involved in the dispute included Americans’ bank information, Social Security numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, dates of birth and, in some cases, medical records if people have applied for disability benefits.
“She was replaced as acting commissioner because she would not give access to the sensitive information,” Altman said of King. “So she was replaced with someone who presumably will. But she was not forced to leave the agency. That was her choice. It was the White House’s choice to not let her be head of the agency anymore.”
President Donald Trump has appointed Leland Dudek, a manager in charge of Social Security’s anti-fraud office, as acting commissioner now that King is out.
Altman slammed DOGE’s request of King and the Social Security Administration.
“I don’t think you can overstate how serious this breach is,” Altman said. “The information that the Social Security Administration has is a lot of personal data that most people would like to keep private and they entrusted to the government through tax returns and through their employers’ sending in earning statements. The assumption is that the government will be very careful with it.”
King, who has worked at the Social Security Administration for decades, has chosen to retire, Altman said.