The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) recently announced a significant overhaul of Social Security records, revealing that over 12 million individuals listed as 120 years or older were still present in the system.
This revelation underscores the potential for fraudulent activities within the Social Security Administration. However, DOGE acknowledged that "some complex cases remain, such as individuals with 2+ different birth dates on file," which will necessitate further investigation.
According to The Epoch Times, DOGE shared a partial screenshot indicating the staggering numbers: approximately 3.3 million individuals aged 120 to 129, 3.9 million aged 130 to 139, 3.5 million aged 140 to 149, 1.3 million aged 150 to 159, and around 124,000 aged 160 to 169 were all marked as deceased.
The sheer volume of these records highlights the potential for misuse. "The amount of people that were not alive that did not show on the system ... was outstanding. Millions and millions. And that is a source of potential for fraud," a DOGE representative stated, emphasizing the accuracy of their efforts to identify fraudulent opportunities.
DOGE, established by President Donald Trump in January, aims to tackle fraud, waste, and abuse within government systems. However, its mission has faced legal challenges, particularly from the Social Security Administration. In March, U.S. District Judge Ellen Lipton Hollander ruled against DOGE's access to Social Security systems, citing potential violations of the federal Privacy Act and labeling the task force's mission as a "fishing expedition."
She instructed DOGE to erase any personally identifiable information it had collected. "The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion," Judge Hollander wrote, criticizing the lack of concrete evidence.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit later upheld Judge Hollander's decision, leading the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court. The administration argued that judicial overreach into executive functions causes "irreparable harm to the government."
Elon Musk, a tech billionaire and senior adviser to President Trump, has been at the helm of the task force. As a special government employee, Musk has a limited timeframe of 130 days to fulfill his duties. However, he announced during a Tesla earnings call that he plans to step back from his government role in May to concentrate on his business endeavors.
The ongoing legal battles and administrative challenges faced by DOGE highlight the complexities of rooting out inefficiencies and potential fraud within government systems. As the task force continues its work, the balance between privacy concerns and the need for transparency and accountability remains a contentious issue.
The outcome of the Supreme Court appeal will likely have significant implications for the future of government oversight and efficiency initiatives.
Login