Top US Social Security official resigns after dispute with Musk team on access to sensitive data

ISTANBUL

The top US Social Security Administration official resigned this weekend after refusing a request from Elon Musk's unofficial Department of Government Efficiency team to access sensitive agency records, said two sources familiar with the matter.

White House spokesman Harrison Fields confirmed in a statement that Michelle King is no longer leading the agency, NBC News reported Tuesday.

“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,” said Fields.

Nancy Altman, president of the progressive group Social Security Works, said she learned of the situation after speaking with several officials at the agency, she told NBC News.

Altman said the disputed information included Americans' bank details, Social Security numbers, earnings records, marital statuses, birth dates and, in some cases, medical records for those who applied for disability benefits.

He said King was replaced as acting commissioner because she would not grant access to sensitive information.

"She was replaced with someone who presumably will," Altman said. However, she clarified that King was not forced to leave the agency -- it was her own decision. The White House, she added, chose to remove her from the agency’s leadership.

US President Donald Trump has named Leland Dudek, a manager overseeing Social Security’s anti-fraud office, as acting commissioner following King’s departure.

The Social Security Administration reportedly did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

The news comes as part of a broader trend of senior officials departing agencies targeted by Musk's team, with disputes focusing on mass layoffs and the team accessing sensitive data without getting proper clearance.

The agency oversees payments for over 70 million Americans, and Trump has pledged not to cut retirement benefits.