DOGE Operatives’ Infiltration of the Social Security Administration: Analysis and Implications

Introduction

Recent investigations have revealed that at least ten operatives from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have infiltrated the Social Security Administration (SSA), gaining unprecedented access to tens of millions of Americans' sensitive personal and financial data.

Many of these operatives have direct connections to Musk’s private companies and limited government experience but have been granted access to critical databases within the SSA. At the same time, Musk has repeatedly characterized Social Security as a “Ponzi scheme” and made dubious claims about widespread fraud in the system.

This infiltration raises serious concerns about data security, privacy, and the future of America’s social insurance system, especially since the agency is already facing deep staffing cuts and operational challenges.

DOGE Operatives and Their Backgrounds

Identity and Corporate Connections

According to Wired's report published on March 13, 2025, ten DOGE operatives have been positioned within the Social Security Administration, representing “among the largest DOGE units deployed to any government agency.”

These individuals have been identified as Akash Bobba, Scott Coulter, Marko Elez, Luke Farritor, Antonio Gracias, Gautier Cole Killian, Jon Koval, Nikhil Rajpal, Payton Rehling, and Ethan Shaotran. Many of these operatives have previous connections to Musk’s private enterprises, including Tesla and SpaceX, creating potential conflicts of interest. They operate within a federal agency responsible for administering benefits to millions of Americans.

The list includes “several young engineers whose presence at the SSA has not been reported” until now, suggesting a deliberate effort to place these individuals within the agency without public scrutiny.

Lack of Government Experience

Particularly concerning is that three DOGE staffers—Gracias, Koval, and Rehling—reportedly have no government experience, raising questions about their qualifications to work within a complex federal agency. Antonio Gracias stands out for his deep ties to Musk’s business empire. He worked at Tesla for 14 years as a company director and helped take the company public.

Bloomberg has additionally reported that Gracias, who comes from Valor Equity Partners, along with Scott Coulter, formerly of Lone Pine Capital, and Michael Russo, formerly of Shift4, are among those with private equity and finance backgrounds who have been sent to the SSA. This influx of private sector finance specialists into a public benefits agency has fueled concerns about potential privatization efforts targeting Social Security.

Current Leadership Dynamics

Leland Dudek, whom Trump installed as acting SSA commissioner last month, has acknowledged to senior agency staff that Musk’s lieutenants are now effectively in the department’s driver’s seat, making key decisions despite their lack of knowledge of SSA systems.

During a recent closed-door meeting with SSA staffers and advocates, Dudek made an alarming admission when asked about potential disruptions: “Are we going to break something? I don’t know.”

This statement suggests a concerning level of uncertainty about the potential impacts of the DOGE team’s activities. It indicates that career officials at the agency may have been sidelined in favor of Musk’s operatives despite their lack of relevant experience or institutional knowledge.

Access to Sensitive Personal Data

Penetration of Critical Databases

Perhaps most concerning is the level of access these operatives have been granted within the SSA’s data systems. Bloomberg has reported that “at least seven DOGE staffers have been granted access to a database known as the Master File of Social Security Number Holders and SSN Applications, also known as Numident.”

This database contains highly sensitive personal information for virtually every American, including Social Security numbers, birth dates, death information, and other personally identifiable data that could be misused if improperly accessed or shared.

The DOGE staffers reportedly have “read-only access as they try to connect the dots between Social Security numbers and possible fraudulent benefits.” However, what constitutes “fraud” in this context remains nebulous and potentially politically motivated.

Assigned Tasks and Security Concerns

One of the tasks reportedly assigned to the DOGE cohort focuses on “how people identify themselves to access their benefit payments.”

This level of access has alarmed privacy advocates and security experts, particularly given the lack of transparency around the operatives’ activities.

Experts with decades of experience at the agency have expressed worry that “DOGE operatives working across multiple agencies increases the risk of SSA data being shared outside of the agency, or that their inexperience will lead to them breaking systems entirely.”

The security implications are particularly concerning given the aging and fragile nature of the SSA’s technical infrastructure, which relies on outdated systems that few newer employees understand fully.

Congressional Concerns About Data Access

The situation has become concerning enough that Democratic lawmakers are demanding an investigation into Musk’s activities at the agency. In a letter to the Republican chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and other Democratic senators warned that DOGE staffers’ “unfettered access” to SSA data raises “a profound risk of causing irreparable harm to the agency’s systems and

Americans’ financial security.” Nancy Altman, president of the advocacy group Social Security Works, emphasized the seriousness of a potential breach of the agency’s systems, given that it holds sensitive information for millions of Americans. These concerns reflect broader questions about whether appropriate safeguards are in place to protect Americans’ data from misuse.

Musk’s False Claims About Social Security

“Ponzi Scheme” Characterization

Elon Musk has repeatedly characterized Social Security in stark and negative terms, contradicting facts about the program. Musk has described Social Security as “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”

This characterization fundamentally misrepresents the nature of Social Security, a social insurance program backed by the federal government. Unlike a Ponzi scheme, Social Security is transparent about its funding mechanism. It relies on current workers paying into the system to fund benefits for current retirees, with the expectation that future generations will continue this pattern.

The program has been a cornerstone of American social policy for nearly 90 years, helping to reduce poverty among elderly Americans.

Unsubstantiated Fraud Allegations

Musk has made specific claims about fraud within the system, stating in a Fox Business interview that significant “waste and fraud in entitlement spending” needs to be addressed.

He has suggested that as much as $600 to $700 billion in wasteful spending could occur annually, a claim that lacks supporting evidence. This would represent nearly one-third of the $1.5 trillion disbursed by Social Security last year.

In the same interview, Musk declared that “most of the federal spending is entitlements” and characterized this as “the big one to eliminate,” raising serious questions about his ultimate intentions regarding Social Security and other benefit programs. These statements directly contradict President Trump’s campaign promises to protect Social Security from cuts.

Dead Beneficiaries Myth

Both Musk and President Trump have made specific claims about dead people receiving Social Security benefits. Musk claimed that “20 million people who are dead” are still listed as alive in the Social Security database. However, Social Security’s acting commissioner, Lee Dudek, refuted claims of widespread payments to deceased individuals, stating, “These individuals are not necessarily receiving benefits.”

The actual rate of improper payments in Social Security is much lower than these claims suggest. According to reports, Social Security’s inspector general identified $71 billion in improper payments from 2015 to 2022, representing less than 1% of the total benefits disbursed during that timeframe.

Trump’s Implausible Age Claims

President Trump has amplified these misleading narratives in high-profile settings. In his recent address to Congress, Trump claimed that government databases list millions of impossibly old people receiving benefits, including “4.7 million Social Security members from people aged 100 to 109 years old” and even “one person is listed at 360 years of age.”

These claims have been fact-checked and found to be misleading. NBC reported that while millions of people over the age of 100 are registered in the Social Security Administration’s database, “the vast majority of them don’t receive benefits.”

The issue relates to a known problem with the government’s data recording, not fraudulent payments made to deceased individuals or nonexistent centenarians.

Potential Impacts on Social Security Administration

Staffing Cuts and Service Disruptions

The presence of DOGE operatives at the SSA comes amid reports of planned deep staffing cuts at the agency. According to CNN, millions of Americans could soon feel the impact of these cuts as the SSA undergoes a massive reorganization under Musk’s DOGE team's guidance.

Former Commissioner Martin O’Malley has warned that reducing staff will “severely hinder the agency’s ability to serve the public and could disrupt the distribution of benefits.”

The Social Security Administration is reportedly preparing to lay off at least 7,000 people, a move that critics argue could severely impact the agency’s ability to process claims and promptly address beneficiary concerns.

Technological Vulnerabilities

Significant concerns about the SSA's technical infrastructure also exist amidst these staffing changes.

Social Security's fundamental, mission-critical computer systems operate on an outdated COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language) programming language.

The system is so antiquated that its green screen, upon loading, displays “welcome to the future,” an irony considering the technology’s age. The employees most proficient in this language at Social Security are often those with the longest tenure, making them likely candidates to leave as staffing decreases.

Approximately 30% of the chief information officer’s staff are eligible for retirement, with even higher numbers in the crucial division responsible for managing claims and payments, the Office of Benefits Information Systems.

Telephone Service Elimination

Perhaps most alarmingly, the Washington Post has reported that the SSA is contemplating discontinuing its telephone service, which accounts for 40% of benefit applications.

This potential move stems from largely unsubstantiated worries regarding phone fraud raised by the DOGE team. While such fraudulent activity does occur, The Post emphasizes that it is not widespread enough to necessitate significant changes to a service relied upon by millions of Americans, particularly elderly and disabled beneficiaries who may have limited alternatives for accessing benefits.

The elimination of phone services would represent a dramatic shift in how Americans interact with the Social Security Administration, potentially creating significant barriers for those most vulnerable.

Counterproductive Anti-Fraud Measures

Ironically, according to O'Malley, cutting staff may actually increase improper payments—the very issue Musk has criticized. He noted that increased workloads would make it more challenging to identify and rectify errors. This highlights a fundamental contradiction in the DOGE approach: while claiming to target fraud and inefficiency, their proposed solutions may actually exacerbate these problems.

The combination of reduced staffing, aging technical infrastructure, and inexperienced leadership creates a perfect storm for potential service failures and security vulnerabilities within a system millions of Americans rely on for their basic financial security.

Political Motivations and Privatization Concerns

Privatization Agenda

There are mounting concerns that the ultimate goal of the DOGE presence at SSA may be to privatize Social Security. Bloomberg's report on the deployment of private equity veterans to the SSA has further fueled these concerns.

House Speaker Mike Johnson claimed that DOGE had found an “enormous amount of fraud, waste, and abuse” in the Social Security system. However, he also incongruously promised that cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security are “off the table.”

This contradictory messaging has intensified suspicions about the administration’s true intentions regarding the future of Social Security as a public program.

Political Rhetoric Around Entitlements

Musk has made politically charged statements about Social Security and other entitlement programs. During his Fox Business interview, he asserted that federal entitlements serve as “a mechanism by which the Democrats attract and retain illegal immigrants by essentially paying them to come here and then turning them into voters.”

This statement echoed the controversial “great replacement” theory, which alleges that politicians aim to enhance their power by altering the nation’s racial demographics. Such rhetoric frames the debate around Social Security not as a matter of efficient program administration but as part of a broader political and ideological struggle, raising questions about whether the DOGE team’s approach to the SSA is driven primarily by objective analysis or political motivations.

Tax Policy Contradictions

During his congressional address, Trump reiterated a proposal to eliminate income taxes on Social Security benefits, a move criticized by experts who argue it would hasten the program’s insolvency.

Current projections suggest that Social Security may deplete its funds by 2034, and exempting taxes on benefits could exacerbate this issue. This proposal starkly contrasts the administration’s rhetoric about fiscal responsibility and fraud prevention, suggesting that the true agenda may be more complex and potentially less focused on the long-term sustainability of Social Security than on short-term political gains and ideological objectives related to shrinking government.

Conclusion

The infiltration of DOGE operatives into the Social Security Administration represents a significant development with far-reaching implications for one of America’s most critical social insurance programs.

The combination of staffers with ties to Musk’s companies, their access to sensitive personal data, and the broader context of Musk and Trump’s misleading statements about Social Security have raised legitimate concerns about the future of the program and the security of Americans’ personal information.

Deploying private equity veterans with limited government experience to key positions within the SSA, coupled with deep staffing cuts and potential service reductions, could impact millions of Americans relying on Social Security benefits for their basic financial security.

As this situation unfolds, close monitoring will be essential to understand the full impact of these changes on the Social Security Administration’s operations and the millions of Americans who depend on its benefits. On the one hand, the tension between claims of fraud and efficiency and the program’s essential role in providing financial security to vulnerable Americans underscores the high stakes involved in any significant changes to the Social Security system.

The infiltration of DOGE operatives represents not just an administrative shift but potentially a fundamental challenge to a cornerstone of America’s social safety net that has successfully reduced elderly poverty for nearly nine decades.