Emails Confirm Social Security Administration Canceled Maine Contracts As Political Payback

[Mr. Sparkle]

Source: Huffpost

Emails show that the Social Security Administration canceled contracts with the state of Maine as political payback against its Democratic governor. A week after Maine Gov. Janet Mills clashed publicly with President Donald Trump at the White House over transgender athletes in girls’ sports, Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner of Social Security, asked his staff about what contracts Maine had with the Social Security Administration.

The agency has vital records contracts with every state, allowing parents to request Social Security numbers for their newborns at the hospital and to verify deaths through an electronic system. According to emails obtained by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Social Security staff informed Dudek that canceling the contracts “would result in improper payments and potential for identity theft.”

Dudek told his staff to go for it. “Please cancel the contracts. While our improper payments will go up, and fraudsters may compromise identities, no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child,” Dudek wrote, referring to Mills. Canceling the vital records contracts would make it more difficult for the federal government to track births and deaths in Maine, hampering efforts to prevent fraud across government agencies, all of which use Social Security records to prevent improper payments.

Connolly called on Dudek to resign immediately. “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 wrote in a letter to Dudek laying out the email traffic. The Social Security Administration did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Read more: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/janet-mills-social-security-maine-leland-dudek_n_67ed2d99e4b0b937ab8f135c

[PittBlue]

1. trump's Reign of Terror and Revenge.

Jeezus.

[UpInArms]

2. Mob boss rule

I hate bullies and I particularly despise that nasty pos that squats in our WH

[NBachers]

3. Must keep my feelings of what should happen to these people to myself . . . Must keep my feelings of what should happen

to these people to myself . . .

[erronis]

16. I'm sure many/most of us share your feelings.

And probably have some choice things that we'd like to add.

[bluestarone]

20. Getting harder and harder to do.

It really is!!

[Cha]

42. They Should Fry in Hell Works for me.

[NBachers]

43. Well there's a direct response!

[Permanut]

4. I'm waiting for sincere expressions of concern from Senator Collins..

I'm sure they'll be forthcoming soon.

[gab13by13]

6. Angus King was one of the Timid 10.

[wolfie001]

13. He's wealthy so he doesn't care

Will he pretend to care is the real question.

[erronis]

17. Collins has done more harm as a fake "concerned" senator than a real rabid tea-partier magat.

[DENVERPOPS]

18. Either THAT

or maybe a "Sternly Worded Letter"....?????????????

[MadameButterfly]

47. Pressure from Maine's congressional delegation resulted in the contracts

being restored within 24 hours of being cancelled. So it appears Collins and King did take effective action.

I'm not saying this isn't scary nor am I a fan of Collins but it's very easy to read this whole thread and not realize that the current emergency has been resolved, nor give credit to Maine's Senators for doing their jobs. You have to read to the bottom of the linked article to realize that.

The remaining danger is the muffling of dessent from Governors and other officials over fear of this kind of retribution.

[travelingthrulife]

48. It's not resolved. This guy needs to be thrown out of his job.

It's all black and white on paper so even one of our US judges should be able to see it.

[Permanut]

56. Roger that..

Putting out brush fires doesn't stop the arsonist.

[maxsolomon]

57. He won't be.

We don't live in that country anymore.

[MadameButterfly]

61. We need to survive until midterms, manage to have an election

win big, and do something about it. A lot of ifs and a few miracles thrown in.

[skypilot]

5. "...petulant child."

The complete lack of self-awareness that it took for him to write this is both stunning and typical.

[joshdawg]

7. "no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child,"

The only petulant child is trump. dudek is maybe a year younger than trump's five.
republicans! Can't live with'em, can't kill'em.

[eggplant]

8. ruh roh.

[Paladin]

9. Just as stomach-turning as it is predictable.

The right-wing police state in action...

[bronxiteforever]

10. Political blackmail with a direct consequence

of hindering the fight against fraud in Social Security. This malicious dunderhead should driven out as from the people’s service as soon as nightfall.
This is big news. He should be fired pronto.

[calimary]

32. Just another good idea for an ask in our weekly "Call to Action" email!

Sometimes they come like rainstorms! Including hail stones (like we had here yesterday)!

[tonekat]

11. Dudek sounds utterly unqualified

What, is he the toady for a supernumerary "president" so immature and unstable he has to take revenge for policy disagreements.

[wolfie001]

12. Sick and misogynistiKKK bastard

[otchmoson]

14. Tomorrow's legislative contact

I can't do much by way of protest, so I began calling and e-mailing my congressman and 2 senators each and every day to leave an opinion on my cause du jour.
There are too many issues to address, so although I sometimes comment about USAID or Ukraine or the USPS or Medicare or NIH/CDC/FDA or . . . (you get the picture), most of my contacts regard social security, medicare or medicaid. This article really steamed me, so I composed tomorrow's calls/e-mails to say this:
It would seem that an administration that allows an unelected, drug-addled billionaire to “take a chain saw” to agency after agency in pursuit of waste, fraud and abuse would be appalled at a recent abusive public action by another unelected, unconfirmed official. Where are you? Are you seeking the resignation and/or firing of the current acting commissioner of Social Security? Are you speaking up? I don't hear you. When Leland Dudek cancelled the vital records contracts with the state of Maine he admitted it “would result in improper payments and potential for identity theft” that leads to fraud. This was a punitive, retributive act, certainly inspired by a thin-skinned president, but allowed by legislators like you who DO NOTHING. If you don’t speak out against retributive acts, then you are complicit in their enactment.

[perdita9]

15. Could someone please post Dudek's mailing address

I think everyone involved in DU should send him a postcard or letter, asking why he is encouraging the abuse of American citizens.

[cstanleytech]

19. Ummm, isn't that illegal?

[calimary]

22. The problem is - these bad guys don't care if it's legal or not.

They just want. Like their “master”. All he knows are two words: “I want.”

Unfortunately, that’s probably gonna keep working, at least for awhile, before the opposition reaches an undeniable level of critical mass. Only then can a realistic removal process can even be thought of, widely enough, to start forcing changes.

It may take awhile, though. Denial runs REALLY and INTENSELY deep with too many “true believers” who desperately don’t want to be wrong (or wrong AGAIN).

If you’re able to admit you were wrong, you also will have to admit you’ve been HAD. ROYALLY and HUMILIATINGLY HAD.

And NOBODY wants to have to admit that.

NOBODY wants to be seen as being that gullible - indeed, outrageously and catastrophically gullible.

[Midnight Writer]

52. I'm sure Pam Bondi will make it a top priority to set this straight.

[mn9driver]

21. Dudek should resign. But we all know that won't happen.

TSF likes his appointees to be dishonest and criminally malevolent.

[MaineNative]

23. She's our Governor and

we are damned proud of her. Overwhelming support for her in the comment section of the Portland Press Herald.

[bsiebs]

24. Dudek graduated from The Catholic University of America... i guess that didn't help that compassionate side...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leland_Dudek


Seems like a nice guy...

[surfered]

25. Is Senator Collins "concerned " enough to do something about it?

[Historic NY]

26. Revenge politics

[RecoveringJournalist]

27. Prepare

I hate to think in such terms. But I pray it doesn't get to the point where we have to take "drastic" action to save our Democracy. Please read between the lines here.

[moniss]

28. By hanging delay into the processing of death notifications they are

causing delay and hardship to surviving widows and widowers who will be delayed in getting the survivor benefit and also the death benefit. Even though the SS benefit is very small it can help with a couple of bills in households that are receiving a low monthly benefit in the first place. But causing needless suffering to people is a prime feature of these fascists.

[Bengus81]

30. The Social Security death benefit. Stuck at $255 since 1954.

$255 in 1954 is $3,024 today which would help Seniors getting ripped off by life insurance Companies.

$255 today is about one weeks stuff at the grocery store for two people.

Shameful..........

[moniss]

34. Yes and they are interfering with even that small amount and you

are right to mention the insurance companies. Many times those checks from the companies who people think will pay in their moment of need are delayed by the companies while they foot drag.

[slightlv]

35. Who gets a death benefit? Just surviving spouse...

or the legal guardian, also? I remembered Mom getting one when my Dad died... but I lost Mom on Jan 3, and I've not heard or seen anything about one.

BTW... you are right on with your grocery estimate! I can't go to the store for weekly shopping without dropping over $200.00. And that's with not buying much meat... maybe a pound of hamburger. It's ridiculous!

[Figarosmom]

37. I think the undertaker uses it

On the buried billing or for the obituary in the news. I noticed it on the final billing for my Mom's funeral as a credit.

[slightlv]

39. I'll have to dig out that paperwork again...

Had it out yesterday because KanCare (KS medicaid) wants to claw back money to repay the money they paid on her nursing home costs. We didn't have to pay anything for her burial; she was buried next to my Dad at the Veterans National Cemetery. Then again, maybe it was automatic payment to the National Cemetery organization. It's not going to mean that much now... but it would have been nice as we were doing last minute stuff for the funeral out of our pockets. I could use a break on the weekly shopping!

[IronLionZion]

29. The Republican party is all about creating waste, fraud, and abuse

for petty political purposes

[Norrrm]

31. The topic of transgender athletes in girls' sports has absolutely nothing to do with SS.

The petulant child is Trump.

[Grins]

33. "Weaponization of government," anyone...?

It’s not just Trump who lives for spite and retribution…. It’s also his staff and the MAGA who support him.

[Figarosmom]

36. So they cancel a service

That helps stop identity theft and Social Security fraud. Cutting off their nose to spite their face cones to mind. This whole admin is epically stupid.

[MadameButterfly]

45. They aren't really interested in stopping waste, fraud, and abuse

They just say that to give them an excuse to cut SS, fire federal workers, and cancel agencies.

[Daleuhlmann]

38. Those Bastards!

THIS is what should be investigated, not MuskRAT's phony allegations of Social Security fraud!

[Karasu]

40. Because they can't just be any fucking fascists, they have to be the most pathetically petty-ass, dumbass fascists to

ever fascist.

[Cha]

41. Good Luck getting Mump Puppet Asshole outta there!

TY

[MadameButterfly]

44. If this isn't stopped freedom of speech, states' rights, and social security

are dead

[MadameButterfly]

46. It should be pointed out that contracts were restored 24 hours after they were cancelled

after pressure from Maine's congressional delegation. I've learned that I should always read the whole article before reading a whole string of comments. This is scary enough without making it worse than it is.

[Martin68]

49. I'm assuming that is illegal and unconstitutional, and would be easily challenged in court (depending on how corrupt the

judge happens to be.)

[republianmushroom]

50. Has Ms. Collins still got hre finger up her ass ?

How is this working out for your people, Susie.

[CousinIT]

51. The Social Security Administration didn't do this. LELAND DUDEK did.

I'm sick of people demonizing "The Social Security Administration" - this defines the SSA as evil in people's minds. And on the part of media THIS IS INTENTIONAL.

The ADMINISTRATION didn't do this. LELAND DUDEK and DOGE did it.

[Midnight Writer]

53. The argument was not about "transgender athletes in girl's sports".

The argument was about whether or not Governor Mills would obey the applicable laws.

Governor Mills said she would obey the law. Donald Trump was telling her to ignore the law and obey him instead.

[SunSeeker]

54. Totally unconstitutional. Impeach the motherfucker.

[maxsolomon]

58. Impeach the acting commissioner of Social Security?

Is that a thing that Congress can even do?

[SunSeeker]

59. Why not? Republicans impeached Mayorkas.

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/house-votes-to-impeach-mayorkas-in-a-historic-rebuke-of-a-sitting-cabinet-member

[maxsolomon]

60. He was a Senate-confirmed Cabinet member.

Is an acting head subject to impeachment? He's not Senate-confirmed, and not a Cabinet Member.

But sure, I guess. The MAGA-controlled House should definitely impeach the dude.

[LymphocyteLover]

55. Good lord we are being ruled by utter psychopaths