In Washington, Representative for Social Security Commissioner Leland Dudek has expressed support for a federal judge’s ruling that prevents Elon Musk’s government-efficiency staff from accessing sensitive data at the Social Security Administration (SSA). U.S. District Judge Ellen Hollander granted a request from various union groups to block access to personal information, such as Social Security numbers and medical records, citing concerns over the motivations behind the requests from Musk’s staff, described as “fishing expeditions” for fraud.
Dudek criticized the ruling as overly broad and warned that it could restrict access to sensitive data for all SSA employees, stating, “My anti-fraud team is Doge affiliates,” which is a reference to Musk’s team. He indicated a willingness to terminate internal access to the agency’s IT systems in response to the judge’s decision, suggesting that the courts should clarify how federal agencies should function.
Judge Hollander responded to Dudek’s interpretation, labeling it “inaccurate” and clarifying that her ruling should not impede the everyday operations of the SSA. She specified that SSA employees not associated with Musk’s team should not be affected by her decision. Despite this, Dudek reaffirmed his stance later in a statement and alluded to the previous SSA Commissioner Michelle King’s departure after resisting demands from Musk’s staff to access sensitive records.
Hollander’s ruling follows a broader trend, as there have been multiple instances of challenges to Doge employees attempting to access sensitive data across different federal agencies. In February, a court also blocked their access to information at the Treasury Department, and limited access to anonymized taxpayer data was granted to a Doge staff member working with the IRS.
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