Musk's Data Grab Sparks Social Security Shake-Up

Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is making waves in Washington. A high-ranking Social Security official recently stepped down after refusing to hand over sensitive recipient data to Musk's team. This isn't the first time Musk's crew has butted heads with long-time government workers over access to crucial financial systems. The acting Social Security Commissioner, Michelle King, left her position after a disagreement with Musk and his team. President Donald Trump quickly appointed Leland Dudek, a Social Security anti-fraud specialist, to take her place. Dudek's appointment came as a surprise to many, given that dozens of other executives outranked him. Dudek had previously praised DOGE's work on social media, which may have played a role in his selection. Musk and the White House have been scrutinizing the Social Security Administration, claiming that millions of deceased individuals are receiving government payments. During a recent press conference, Musk joked about finding people aged 150 in the Social Security database. He suggested that these individuals might be vampires, referencing the Twilight series. Experts have clarified that the Social Security database uses a standardized international coding system. This system defaults the value of a missing birthday to 1875, which is 150 years in the past. This allows officials to verify the Social Security information of individuals who may not know their date of birth. In other words, these people are not actually dead. The White House has backed Musk's claims, despite a 2024 Inspector General report finding that improper payments by the Social Security Administration amounted to less than 1 percent of payments between fiscal years 2015-2022. This means that the vast majority of payments are going to the right people. Musk's push for access to sensitive government systems has caused controversy before. Last month, a Senior Treasury Department official resigned after Musk's team demanded access to closely regulated Treasury payment systems. DOGE has also been involved in a systematic purge of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and has fired thousands of government employees across various agencies. Meanwhile, Musk's companies SpaceX and Tesla have secured more than $230 million in federal contracts this year alone. The Trump administration has stated that Musk will handle his own conflicts of interest.