When Government Workers Broke the Rules and Put Your Data at Risk
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Over the past year, employees within this department have been caught accessing and sharing sensitive personal data of millions of Americans without proper authorization. The Trump administration has been unable to provide clear answers about the extent of the data breach, what the data was used for, or why such extensive data consolidation was necessary in the first place.
Things Take a Turn for the Worse
Things took a turn for the worse when the Social Security Administration (SSA) revealed that DOGE employees had secretly shared sensitive personal data. This admission came in a court filing that corrected previous testimonies given by top agency officials. The filing mentioned that two SSA DOGE employees were referred to a federal watchdog to investigate potential violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits government employees from using their positions for political activities.
The employees in question had secret communications with a political advocacy group. They wanted to match Social Security data with state voter rolls to find evidence of voter fraud and potentially overturn election results in certain states. It is still unclear whether any data was actually shared with this group.
DOGE Team Members Found Ways Around IT Rules
DOGE team members also found ways around IT rules to share data on outside servers. They sent a password-protected file of private records to DOGE affiliates outside the agency and had access to data even after a judge temporarily halted their access. Despite acknowledging these breaches, the SSA admitted they still don't know what data was shared or how these incidents occurred.
Plaintiffs and Whistleblowers Speak Out
Plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the SSA have asked the courts to take note of this "brazen misconduct." Richard Fiesta, executive director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, expressed concern over the unauthorized release of personal data, stating that retirees, workers, and families depend on the SSA to protect their confidential information.
Whistleblower Chuck Borges, who was the chief data officer for SSA until his resignation, has been vindicated by these revelations. Borges had previously alleged that DOGE staffers repeatedly violated internal SSA policies and federal laws. He emphasized the need for Congress to investigate what data was accessed and for what purposes.
Questions About the Administration's Priorities
The DOGE's actions have raised questions about the administration's efforts to enforce federal law versus chasing conspiracy theories about election fraud. Brent Ferguson, director of strategic litigation at Campaign Legal Center, argued that the government's efforts are designed to pursue dubious claims rather than enforce the law.
The Social Security Administration did not respond to requests for additional information, leaving many questions unanswered. The DOGE's quick access to and misuse of sensitive data have sparked concerns about the safety and security of personal information. The administration's aggressive immigration enforcement crackdown and the use of data to justify policy changes have further complicated the situation.
