An obscure data analyst who had been placed on leave as he was being investigated for allegedly violating privacy and tax laws, was saved by Donald Trump who then rewarded him by appointing him to acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration.
According to a new report from the Washington Post, Leland Dudek had raised suspicions from his perch in a small anti-fraud office after he appeared to be helping Elon Musk's DOGE staffers access information. That led to his suspension –– until the president elevated him to his current high-profile and influential new job.
The Post's Lisa Rein is reporting, "It’s not clear what data Dudek shared, but his actions raised enough alarm that he may have violated privacy and tax laws that senior officials placed him on paid leave as they launched their investigation. The officials, including attorneys in the general counsel’s office, also were notified late last week that Dudek had sent harassing emails to employees in the agency’s personnel and security divisions to rush them to let several engineers hired by DOGE start work and gain access to agency computer systems."
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Despite that, Trump leapfrogged him over senior officials despite his lack of managerial experience –– likely due to his connection with DOGE staffers.
The Post notes that since his elevation, he has, "Dudek has made bold moves that are highly unusual for someone in an acting role," by gutting "the agency’s research program" while swapping out personnel and demoting the executive "who was involved in placing him on paid leave last week."
You can read more here.
