Democrats in Washington are demanding investigations after the National Archives mistakenly released New Jersey Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s full military record, including her Social Security number, to an individual who made a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. This incident raises serious concerns about privacy and governmental oversight.
This mishap came to light when Scott Levins, director of the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), acknowledged the breach in a letter to Sherrill, who is running for governor. He admitted that the NPRC had mistakenly sent out unauthorized information related to her military service.
Levins stated that the NPRC received a request from Nicholas De Gregorio, a former Republican congressional candidate, for all publicly available data on Sherrill’s Navy service. Instead of sharing only the information allowed under FOIA, they inadvertently released her entire record, which contained sensitive personal details.
Levins described the incident as “exceedingly rare,” emphasizing that the agency would address the failure and improve training to prevent future occurrences. The National Archives also offered Sherrill free credit monitoring services due to the nature of the breach.
Sherrill reacted strongly, labeling the release as an illegal attack on veterans. She expressed concerns about the implications of such actions for anyone who has served in the military. This uproar unfolds just weeks before the gubernatorial election, highlighting her Navy background as a key part of her campaign message.
De Gregorio, who received the records, stated that he was shocked to find Sherrill’s Social Security number in the documents. He later clarified that he was asked by a Republican strategist to look into Sherrill’s military history but insisted that the Ciattarelli campaign did not orchestrate the release of the records.
Top Democrats, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have voiced their support for criminal investigations into this breach. Rep. Adam Smith added that strict accountability measures are necessary to ensure the privacy of individuals, especially veterans, is not compromised again.
This isn’t the first time military records of lawmakers have been mishandled. Recent incidents have uncovered the private information of several politicians, sparking calls for better protection of such sensitive data. Republican Rep. Don Bacon, who experienced a similar breach, stated that the military must act promptly to safeguard veterans’ personal information.
As this situation unfolds, public discourse about government transparency, privacy rights, and political ethics continues to grow, reflecting the ongoing debates about the role of government in personal data management.
For more detailed insight, you can read about the issue [here](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/national-archives-mikie-sherrill-military-record-jack-ciattarelli/).
