WASHINGTON (TNND) -- The Social Security Administration's acting commissioner stepped down from her role after refusing to provide Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with access to sensitive information, according to multiple reports.
Acting Commissioner Michelle King worked for the department for more than 30 years and is one of several departures of high-ranking officials concerned about DOGE staffers' potential unlawful access to private taxpayer information.
DOGE has accessed Treasury payment systems and wants access to Internal Revenue Services databases.
A judge blocked DOGE from accessing Treasury Department records that contain sensitive personal data such as Social Security and bank account numbers for millions of Americans.
The preliminary injunction was issued after 19 Democratic attorneys general sued President Donald Trump alleging the Trump administration allowed Musk's team access to the Treasury Department's central payment system in violation of federal law.
The White House replaced King with acting commissioner Leland Dudek while Trump's permanent pick Frank Bisignano awaits Senate confirmation.
In a statement released Monday night, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said, "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 added.
The future of Social Security has become a top political issue and was a major point of contention in the 2024 election. About 72.5 million people, including retirees, disabled people and children, receive Social Security benefits.