“Acting Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek’s threat to effectively shut down the Social Security Administration rather than comply with a lawful court order to protect Americans’ most private personal data is yet another example of the Trump administration’s hostility to American seniors. Dudek’s threat to hold hostage the earned benefits of over 70 million people in order to continue to provide Musk with unfettered and unjustified access to troves of personal Social Security data is inexcusable. Dudek is throwing a temper tantrum – claiming that if DOGE can’t access American’s data, neither can anyone else. No one in the federal government has the breadth of access to data that Elon Musk has demanded. Social Security employees’ access is compartmentalized and only made available on a ‘need-to-know’ basis, and those with access to the data go through rigorous screening, training, and are subject to fines and/or jail time for violating this policy. Musk’s continued effort to justify his actions by doubling down on thoroughly debunked claims of ‘massive fraud’ at SSA are being laid bare as a mere pretext for acquiring every American’s personal information – which could then be used as weapons against anyone who disagrees with the Trump Administration’s actions.” – Max Richtman, President & CEO, National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
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Media Inquiries
Walter Gottlieb