Mary Benefield 3rd Vice Chair | DeKalb County Republican Party
Mary Benefield 3rd Vice Chair | DeKalb County Republican Party
Leland Dudek, a former head of the Social Security Administration's anti-fraud office, has been appointed as the acting commissioner of the agency following Michelle King's departure. This appointment comes amidst reports of internal conflicts within federal agencies.
In a now-deleted LinkedIn post, Dudek detailed his experiences leading to administrative leave and a pending investigation. "At 4:30pm EST, my boss called me to tell me I had been placed on administrative leave pending an Investigation," he wrote. He confessed to aiding DOGE by sharing publicly accessible documents and reallocating contractor funds for data science resources in his anti-fraud team.
Dudek defended his actions as being in service to the country and its beneficiaries. Reports from The Daily Wire suggest that Gina Clemons, Deputy Commissioner for Analytics, Review, and Oversight, sought Dudek's removal while maintaining her position.
Billy Gribbin, representing Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, supported appointing fiscally responsible individuals like Dudek into leadership roles within federal agencies. “I hope we see more of this," Gribbin stated on X.
The White House assured that Social Security remains stable despite recent changes in leadership. Harrison Fields emphasized President Trump's commitment to appointing qualified individuals dedicated to serving the American public. "President Trump has nominated the highly qualified and talented Frank Bisignano to lead the Social Security Administration," Fields said.
President Trump commented on King's resignation by suggesting it was more akin to a firing due to performance issues. Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized media narratives suggesting threats to benefits. She affirmed that DOGE's role is focused on identifying fraudulent payments within Social Security.
"Rest assured, if you paid into the system honestly, you will continue to receive your Social Security checks," Leavitt assured.
This story first appeared in The Western Journal.
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