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3w ago

Social Security Official Faces Resignation Calls Over Politically Motivated Contract Cancellation

Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek reinstated contracts with Maine after public backlash but faces scrutiny for his actions and prior controversies.

FILE - Democratic Gov. Janet Mills delivers her State of the State address, Jan. 30, 2024, at the State House in Augusta, Maine. Mills vetoed on Tuesday, April 23, 2024, a bill to establish a minimum hourly wage for agricultural workers that she initially submitted herself. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaking, is joined by, from left, Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., as they criticize efforts by President Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Republicans in Congress to compromise Social Security, during a news conference, at the Capitol, in Washington, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Overview

  • Emails reveal Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek canceled contracts with Maine as retaliation against Governor Janet Mills following her clash with President Trump over transgender athletes.
  • The cancellation disrupted critical services, including the ability to enroll newborns in Social Security and verify deaths electronically.
  • Dudek reinstated the contracts within 24 hours under pressure from Maine’s congressional delegation and widespread public outcry.
  • The White House defended the cancellation, criticizing Mills for her stance on transgender athletes and alleging constitutional violations.
  • Dudek faces bipartisan calls for resignation, with scrutiny over his politically motivated actions and prior involvement in a controversy involving Social Security databases.