A former chief of staff at the US Social Security Administration (SSA) described how agents of the so-called “department of government efficiency” (Doge) – Elon Musk’s government cost-cutting operation – were imposed on the agency, assailing senior staff with questions “based on the general myth of supposed widespread fraud” and acting with dangerous disregard for data confidentiality.
In a declaration filed with a lawsuit on Friday and referring to the Doge agents Mike Russo and Akash Bobba, Tiffany Flick said: “We proposed briefings to help Mr Russo and Mr Bobba understand the many measures the agency takes to help ensure the accuracy of benefit payments, including those measures that help ensure we are not paying benefits to deceased individuals.
“However, Mr Russo seemed completely focused on questions … based on the general myth of supposed widespread social security fraud, rather than facts.”
Flick worked for the SSA for 30 years but retired the day [Leland] Dudek was appointed. Her declaration was given under oath. The lawsuit was brought by Democracy Forward, a group representing “a coalition of unions and retirees” seeking “to halt [Doge’s] unprecedented, unlawful seizure of personal, confidential, private, and sensitive data regarding millions of Americans across the country from the SSA, in violation of the law”.
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