US President Joe Biden on Friday terminated the services of Andrew Saul, the commissioner of Social Security after he declined the President’s request of voluntarily resigning from his post, the White House said in a statement.

Biden also accepted the deputy commissioner’s resignation. Both officials in question were appointed during the administration of Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump.

“The President had asked commissioner Andrew Saul to resign, and his employment was terminated after he refused the request,” a White House official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press.

Before stepping into the federal sphere of service in the government, Saul was the chairperson of the Finance Committee of the New York Transportation Authority. Commissioner Saul also has served as Vice Chairman of the Mount Sinai Health System, and Chairman of its Audit and Compliance Committee.

Biden has temporarily replaced Saul with Kilolo Kijakazi, who has been appointed the acting commissioner of the department till the administration finds a permanent replacement for the commissioner and deputy commissioner, the Associated Press reported.

Kijakazi currently holds the post of deputy commissioner for retirement and disability policy at the Social Security Administration.

Saul’s removal comes after a legal opinion from the Justice Department found that he could be removed, despite there being a statute that states the commissioner could only be fired for neglecting his duties or malfeasance. The Justice Department gave its legal advice at the request of the White House.

The opinion stated that due to a Supreme Court ruling,  Saul could be fired by the president at will.