Leland Dudek, a mid-level career employee at the Social Security Administration, sought for assistance in finding a new job after posting on LinkedIn last week that he was placed on administrative leave for working with Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency.

He had one a few days later, thanks to President Donald Trump: the acting commissioner of Social Security.

He took over for Michelle King, a decades-long agency employee who quit last weekend after arguing with DOGE officials over access to private Social Security data. Concerns over DOGE staffers' possible access to federal databases containing Americans' private information have led to lawsuits and the departure of a number of senior career officials across the federal government, including her.

In contrast, Dudek, who worked in the anti-fraud unit of Social Security after joining the agency in 2009, admitted to working with DOGE in the since-deleted LinkedIn post.

"I'll admit it. I assisted DOGE in comprehending SSA. In the post that CNN saw, he stated, "I mailed myself publicly accessible documents and explained them DOGE." "I'll admit it. In order to provide my anti-fraud team with data science resources to investigate Direct Deposit Fraud, I redirected contractor funds.

"I'll admit it. He wrote, "I circumvented the chain of command, shared executive contact information, and bullied agency executives to connect DOGE with the people who get things done."

"I can be your'sherpa,' helping you navigate government and in creating lasting relationships that get to yes," Dudek wrote in a another job-seeking post, addressing prospective employers. He mentioned that he was searching for positions in cybersecurity, fraud, and identity management.

Dudek temporarily takes over the duty of managing the monthly payouts that over 70 million retirees, disabled workers, survivors, and dependents depend on while Frank Bisignano, Trump's choice to head the agency, awaits Senate approval.

A request for response from the Social Security Administration was not answered.

The impact of DOGE
Given that Trump has given Musk more authority, Dudek's promotion seems to be yet another glaring illustration of DOGE's control over the federal government.

The software billionaire said, "Promote good players, exit bad players," in celebration of Dudek's promotion on Wednesday. That is the proper course of action.

Surprisingly, Leland was let off by higher-ups in the Social Security Administration for assisting @DOGE in identifying taxpayer savings. Is that not unbelievable? Musk made a post on X. "Leland was immediately brought back and is now in upper management because of President Trump."

Lawmakers are worried that DOGE is evading the legislative process and the checks and balances in place in the government as a result of its infiltration of federal agencies.

Following Dudek's promotion, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and three other Democratic senators wrote to the acting commissioner to inquire about the information he gave DOGE and the access its representatives have had.

Along with Dudek's lack of executive experience, the senators were also concerned about claims that he had been placed on administrative leave while an inquiry into his sharing of private information with DOGE was underway.

Concerns have also been raised by experts and consumer advocates over DOGE's acquisition of Social Security data, which includes reams of personal data on hundreds of millions of Americans.

In a statement earlier this week, Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, stated that the data gathered and safely stored by the Social Security Administration is extremely sensitive. "SSA has information on every American with a Social Security number, which is almost all Americans; every American with Medicare; and every American with a low income who has applied for Supplemental Security Income, Social Security's means-tested companion program."

"DOGE personnel CANNOT make changes to agency systems, benefit payments, or other information," Dudek said in a statement on Wednesday in an attempt to soothe some worries. Their access is limited to READ. He added that information pertaining to an existing or upcoming court-ordered temporary restraining order is not accessible to the DOGE team.

Additionally, he sought to clarify whether Social Security has been paying out payouts to deceased individuals, as both Musk and Trump have suggested in recent days.

Although they may not be getting benefits, Dudek pointed out that there are individuals over 100 whose records do not include a date of death.

Emphasizing the value of openness, Dudek said he gave the agency's Office of the Inspector General a call so they could supervise and examine all operations, including his own. Additionally, he invited the Government Accountability Office, an independent organization, to observe how the agency operates.

Paying attention to fraud
In keeping with Trump and Musk's emphasis on eliminating waste and fraud in the federal government, the interim commissioner is already taking action to restructure the agency.

Dudek announced an organizational shift on Friday that will enhance operations and fortify safeguards.

In order to "speed the opportunities to identify fraud, waste, and abuse and implement needed solutions," among other advantages, the agency said in a news statement that the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight will be relocating its functions to existing areas of the agency.

According to the statement, Dudek described the action as "an important, common-sense step in the right direction to further strengthen the integrity of the Social Security and Supplemental Security Income programs on which millions of people rely."

The agency will consult with a variety of stakeholders on safeguarding the integrity of its programs and finding ways to improve efficiency, particularly through technology and program simplicity, stating that "Dudek understands that government alone doesn't have all the answers."

According to the news release, "these enhancements will help to improve how Social Security serves America and build on recommendations that DOGE team members provide the agency."