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DEVELOPING: Obama Judge Pushes Back After Ruling Attacking DOGE is So “Weirdly Written” and “Overly Broad” That It Could Lead to IMMEDIATE Shutdown of Social Security Administration
Gateway Pundit ^ | March 21, 2025 | Staff

Posted on 03/21/2025 8:34:19 PM PDT by Red Badger

A federal judge on Thursday barred DOGE from accessing social security systems.

US District Judge Ellen Hollander, an Obama appointee, said DOGE’s workers are on a “fishing expedition.”

“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion. It has launched a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack,” Judge Hollander wrote.

Far-left organizations like AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Teachers and other plaintiffs sued the Social Security Administration, Elon Musk, DOGE and other Trump advisors.

“The plaintiffs are the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (“AFSCME”); Alliance for Retired Americans (“ARA” or “Alliance”); and American Federation of Teachers (“AFT”). They have sued the Social Security Administration; Leland Dudek, in his official capacity as “purported Acting Commissioner” of the SSA; Michael Russo, in his official capacity as Chief Information Officer (“CIO”) of the Agency; Elon Musk, in his official capacity as “Senior Advisor to the President and de facto head of” the Department of Government Efficiency; the “U.S. DOGE Service”; the U.S. DOGE Service Temporary Organization; and Amy Gleason, in her official capacity as the DOGE Acting Administrator,” the court document read.

The judge sided with the plaintiffs and said DOGE is likely violating privacy laws with access to social security numbers and other personal information.

On Friday Acting Social Security commissioner Leland Dudek told the Washington Post in an interview that he will likely file an affidavit asking Judge Hollander to clarify her ruling, calling the language “ambiguous,” “overly broad,” and “weirdly written.”

“[In] an interview Friday with The Washington Post, Dudek argued that the judge’s ruling was overly broad and that a reference to “DOGE affiliates” could apply to all employees who access personally identifiable information, or PII, because they are obligated to cooperate with DOGE,” The Washington Post reported.

“Everything in this agency is PII,” Dudek told The Post. “Unless I get clarification, I’ll just start to shut it down. I don’t have much of a choice here.”

Dudek’s comments created a media firestorm, prompting Judge Hollander to issue a letter clarifying her language.

“The Court is aware of several news reports claiming that Acting Social Security Commissioner Dudek believes that virtually all employees of SSA fall within the scope of the Order, including his “IT Staff” and his “anti-fraud team.” And, according to the news reports, Mr. Dudek apparently believes he is required to terminate their access to SSA’s IT systems, in order to comply with the Order,” Judge Hollander wrote in a letter on Friday.

The judge continued, “Such assertions about the scope of the Order are inaccurate. Employee of SSA who are not involved with the DOGE Team or in the work of the DOGE Team are not subject to the Order. A DOGE Affiliate is defined in the Order, inter alia, as a person working on or implementing the DOGE agenda. Moreover, any suggestion that the Order may require the delay or suspension of benefit payments is incorrect.”


TOPICS: Conspiracy; Government; Military/Veterans; Politics
KEYWORDS: doge; ellenhollander; judgewatch; socialsecurity; usualprojections; usualsuspects
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

what you said !


21 posted on 03/21/2025 9:16:46 PM PDT by chiller (Davey Crockett said: "Be sure you're right. Then go ahead'. I'll go ahead.)
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To: Red Badger

Much of this overreach can be handled by votes in the Senate Judiciary Committee. They can remove many things from the jurisdiction of federal courts, or *some* federal courts.

It would also send a strong message to the SCOTUS, of “either you crack down on these bozos, or WE will.”

The Constitution *only* specifies the creation of the SCOTUS. All other federal courts, and their jurisdictions, are decided on by congress. Mostly the Senate. Keeping them “orderly” is the job of the SCOTUS.

So when some piss ant federal judge in Podunk decides to create a national injunction, it is not hard at all to slap them down. And it doesn’t need to follow the appellate chain.


22 posted on 03/21/2025 9:18:17 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (If you see "Acheta" protein in a product, know that it has been adulterated with insect protein)
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To: Red Badger

judge doesn’t think suspicion is a reason to look into some thing further?


23 posted on 03/21/2025 9:24:08 PM PDT by b4me (Pray, and let God change you. He knows better than you or anyone else, who He made you to be.)
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To: Red Badger

It is the job of the chief executive of any organization to know what is in the haystack for which he is responsible. How stupid can you get? A new answer each and every day.


24 posted on 03/21/2025 9:25:04 PM PDT by _longranger81
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To: Red Badger

All Musk and team is doing is running simple queries on all agency DBs with quantum computing behind it to drill down where who the money is going to!!!
I say this with 42 years of IT experience.


25 posted on 03/21/2025 9:36:42 PM PDT by Harpotoo (Being a socialist is a lot easier than saving to WORK like the rest of !US:-))
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To: Red Badger

A fishing expedition? Ellen, you ignorant slut, what do you think an audit is supposed to be?


26 posted on 03/21/2025 9:42:57 PM PDT by TigersEye (The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
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To: All
Model DEI hire ...


27 posted on 03/21/2025 9:51:38 PM PDT by TigersEye (The Golden Age of MAGA is upon us!)
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To: Red Badger

An audit IS a fishing expedition... Go DOGE!


28 posted on 03/21/2025 10:06:20 PM PDT by Carriage Hill (A society grows great when old men plant trees, in whose shade they know they will never sit.)
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To: b4me

This judge thinks it’s perfectly fine for $$$$$ to go to alleged 160-year-old recipients.


29 posted on 03/21/2025 10:07:14 PM PDT by rfp1234 (E Porcibus Unum)
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To: TigersEye

Arrogant, narcissistic and pineapple-faced is no way to go through life.


30 posted on 03/21/2025 10:08:54 PM PDT by rfp1234 (E Porcibus Unum)
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To: butterdezillion; cgbg

Senior stooge for the District of Maryland.


31 posted on 03/21/2025 10:45:38 PM PDT by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
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To: Harpotoo
I say this with 42 years of IT experience.

I was in IT at a university.

There "people of a certain age" in positions of power who know literally NOTHING about computers or IT. They have "people" for that.

Their lack of knowledge doesn't prevent them from making buffoons out of themselves when it comes to stuff like this.

Both you and I have had access to very sensitive data - and we both know that if we violated our duty to keep the data safe and uncompromised, we'd never work in the field again.

This airhead "judge" (who is of a certain age) doesn't know that, nor does she care.

32 posted on 03/21/2025 10:52:24 PM PDT by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
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To: Red Badger

The stupid, it burns....

Obviously this judge has never taken a business course in her life. Every well-run organization audits the books regularly. Just because the U.S. hasn’t bothered to do so for decades, she thinks no one is bilking the system? With the abundant evidence all around, like the documented amounts of Medicare/caid and pandemic loan fraud?


33 posted on 03/21/2025 11:01:29 PM PDT by Albion Wilde (“Did you ever meet a woke person that’s happy? There’s no such thing.” —Donald J. Trump)
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To: Red Badger
“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion. It has launched a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack,” Judge Hollander wrote.

DOGE needs a Search Warrant to inspect files belonging to a govt. institute?!

The Social Security Administration isn't a private residence! The Fourth Amendment does not apply here!

Regards,

34 posted on 03/21/2025 11:53:14 PM PDT by alexander_busek (Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.)
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To: Red Badger

The frigging evil that is oozing out of the left is unbelievable. It’s, ike all at once the demons are screaming.


35 posted on 03/21/2025 11:57:09 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: Red Badger

Perhaps done can audit the judge


36 posted on 03/21/2025 11:58:03 PM PDT by Bob434 (Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana)
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To: Red Badger

The democrats continue to try to whip up hysteria about SS being cut and I don’t see it gathering much momentum. Seems like people are not buying it.


37 posted on 03/22/2025 12:11:01 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: cgbg
The judge is incoherent—drunk or high.

Or just another brainwashed leftist. They don't need to be drunk or high.

38 posted on 03/22/2025 12:13:14 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: Red Badger
“The DOGE Team is essentially engaged in a fishing expedition at SSA, in search of a fraud epidemic, based on little more than suspicion. It has launched a search for the proverbial needle in the haystack, without any concrete knowledge that the needle is actually in the haystack,” Judge Hollander wrote.

Fine. Then they can prove there's not a needle.

Besides, the *needle* is waste and fraud and that is known to exist in all government agencies. Nobody has to be specific about what waste and fraud they're looking for.

39 posted on 03/22/2025 12:15:42 AM PDT by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: Red Badger

“Unless I get clarification, I’ll just start to shut it down. I don’t have much of a choice here.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Looks like Dudek may have found a way to punish these rogue judges. When they issue a BS ruling, just interpret it creatively to inflict some pain.

For instance, here we see the judge issue a ruling meant to shield the SS administration ... so Dudek interprets it to mean incrementally shutting down the SS administration.

Hey Judge, how ‘bout them apples?


40 posted on 03/22/2025 12:25:15 AM PDT by Yardstick
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