Democratic Senators Press SSA Over 2.7 Million Alleged Fake Death Dates
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 5
Democratic Senators Press SSA Over 2.7 Million Alleged Fake Death Dates
3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jun 5
Summary
June 6 letters from Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal asked SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano and three former DOGE staffers to explain whistleblower claims that millions were targeted for false death listings.
Jeremiah Schofield, a former SSA employee, alleged DOGE pushed the agency to assign death dates to 6,000 people and that DHS sought to mark another 2.7 million as dead to force self-deportation or detention.
A 25-name sample from the 2.7 million list found most were U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, according to Schofield's disclosure cited by the senators.
SSA denied adding 2.7 million names to the Death Master File, saying it maintains strict internal controls, while Schofield said he does not know whether the larger group was ultimately marked dead.
Placement in the death file can immediately cut off bank access, insurance and credit cards, and can also trigger canceled mortgages, revoked legal status and loss of voting rights.