Controversial Termination of SSA Contracts in Maine Following Political Clash
The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently faced scrutiny after terminating key contracts with the state of Maine, allegedly as retribution against its Democratic Governor, Janet Mills, for a disagreement with former President Donald Trump.
Acting SSA Commissioner Leland Dudek initially suggested the cancellations were inadvertent. However, emails uncovered by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee revealed that Dudek had explicitly directed the termination of the contracts. “Please cancel the contracts,” Dudek wrote on February 27. “While our improper payments will go up, and fraudsters may compromise identities, no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child.”
The controversy began six days prior when Trump and Mills engaged in a heated exchange at a governors’ summit. Trump questioned Mills on her willingness to enforce his executive order, which banned transgender women from participating in school sports. Mills responded that she would adhere to state and federal laws. Trump’s threat to withdraw federal funding was met with Mills’ retort, “See you in court.”
Following the incident, Trump took to social media to demand an apology from Mills, who did not respond to his demand.
The SSA’s canceled contracts were crucial for state agencies to manage various Social Security-related functions, including record-keeping. The abrupt cancellation led to issues such as hospitals’ inability to enroll newborns in Social Security and the failure to remove deceased individuals from Social Security rolls.
Given that Maine has the oldest population in the U.S., with nearly 22% of residents over 65, the impact of these cancellations was particularly significant.
Public backlash prompted Dudek to reinstate the contracts within 24 hours.
Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly, the Democratic ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, addressed Dudek in a letter, urging him to step down. “The acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration should serve the American people, not create waste, fraud, and abuse on the taxpayer’s dime,” Connolly stated. “I call on you to resign immediately, and I request that you sit for a transcribed interview with staff of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.”
The Social Security Administration’s spokesperson has not yet responded to requests for comments.
Read more about the situation on American Journal News.
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