A motion to show cause requesting that SSA be held in contempt of a court order may
be filed or threatened against the Commissioner or other agency officials if SSA fails
to promptly and properly comply with a court's order.
On occasion, the court will order the Commissioner or other SSA official to appear
in court to show cause why they should not be held in contempt; if the court finds
contempt, it may impose some type of sanction. It is also possible that the court
may impose a fine against SSA.
Contempt actions can be avoided by expeditious action whenever a court order is received
for effectuation.