National Archives apologizes to Dem gubernatorial candidate after 'exceedingly rare' military records breach
National Personnel Records Center apologizes to Rep. Mikie Sherrill after her military records were released to an unauthorized requester tied to the New Jersey governor's race; NPRC vows policy changes and staff training.
The National Archives apologized to Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill after the National Personnel Records Center released her military records to an unauthorized requester, describing the incident as an 'exceedingly rare' breach. The release, which occurred in response to a Freedom of Information Act request, included sensitive details such as Sherrill’s social security number and date of birth.
Nicholas De Gregorio, the FOIA requester, told CBS News that he was acting on information from Chris Russell, a Republican consultant in New Jersey, and that the Ciattarelli campaign did not hire or direct him to obtain the files.
NPRC Director Scott Levins issued a formal apology in a letter to Sherrill, which her campaign posted online. He said the agency sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience and aggravation this situation may cause you and for the NPRC's failure to safeguard your military record from unauthorized release. He described the breach as 'exceedingly rare' and noted that the release included personal information such as your social security number and date of birth, offering free credit monitoring services.
We will hold staff accountable for failing to follow proper administrative procedures with regard to the release of your records. Additionally, we will review our policies and procedures to add additional controls to prevent a similar occurrence in the future and provide additional training to staff to reinforce our commitment to safeguarding the personal information of our nation's veterans.
Sherrill decried the release as unlawful government 'weaponization.' In a post on X, she wrote, 'This is an illegal and dangerous weaponization of the federal government. That @Jack4NJ and the Trump admin are breaking the law and exposing private records for political gain is a violation of anyone who has ever served. No veteran's record is safe.'
President Donald Trump, who is backing Ciattarelli in the gubernatorial contest, slammed Sherrill as 'close to incompetent' in a Truth Social post on Thursday, misspelling her first name as 'Mike.'
The gubernatorial race in New Jersey has been jolted by allegations of leaks and dirty tricks as both campaigns trade accusations over private records and privacy. Ciattarelli previously lost the 2021 race to incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. The latest development underscores ongoing concerns about privacy, political strategy and the use of veterans’ records in state campaigns.
