Social Security Cancels Maine Contracts After Trump-Mills Dispute

Social Security Administration Halts Contracts with Maine

The Social Security Administration has terminated its contracts with the state of Maine, a decision reportedly linked to tensions between Maine’s Democratic governor and former President Donald Trump.

Emails accessed by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee reveal that Leland Dudek, the acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration, instructed the cancellation of these contracts as a punitive measure against Governor Janet Mills.

“Please cancel the contracts,” Dudek stated in the emails. “While our improper payments will go up, and fraudsters may compromise identities, no money will go from the public trust to a petulant child.”

Governor Mills and President Trump previously clashed during a February summit of state governors. The confrontation arose when Trump inquired whether Mills would implement his executive order prohibiting transgender women from participating in school sports. Mills replied that she would adhere to state and federal law, to which Trump responded, “we are the federal law,” prompting Mills to say, “see you in court.” The incident is detailed in this video.

Following the exchange, Trump took to social media to demand an apology from Mills, which was not forthcoming.

The Social Security Administration’s contracts are crucial for assisting state agencies with Social Security-related tasks, such as aiding disabled individuals in securing benefits and enhancing state programs that offer additional benefits.

The contracts impacted by Dudek’s cancellation pertain primarily to record-keeping. The absence of these contracts could complicate efforts to assign Social Security numbers to newborns in Maine and remove deceased individuals from the rolls, potentially increasing fraud and mistakenly issued benefits.

Maine is home to the oldest population in the nation, with almost 22% of its residents aged 65 or older.

Virginia Representative Gerry Connolly, the Democratic ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, has urged Dudek to resign, as outlined in a letter. Connolly wrote, “The acting commissioner of the Social Security Administration should serve the American people, not create waste, fraud, and abuse on the taxpayer’s dime. 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.”