NJ governor's race escalates as GOP contender threatens legal action amid Dem leak claims

The New Jersey gubernatorial race intensified Thursday as Republican Jack Ciattarelli threatened legal action amid claims of leaked records tied to Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s past at the U.S. Naval Academy and a National Archives data breach that unsealed her full military record.

Ciattarelli accused Democrats of trying to distract voters from Sherrill’s alleged involvement in a 1994 cheating scandal at the academy, and he pointed to a National Archives breach as a vehicle that released private materials in a political fight. Democrats responded by condemning the Trump administration for the data breach, while Republicans highlighted a New Jersey Globe report indicating Sherrill was barred from walking at her Naval Academy class graduation for refusing to report classmates involved in the cheating scandal.

"This is an illegal and dangerous weaponization of the federal government," Sherrill said in a statement Thursday as she criticized Ciattarelli and the Trump administration for "breaking the law and exposing private records for political gain." But the Ciattarelli campaign told Fox News Digital that documents detailing Sherrill's involvement in the cheating scandal were not included in the National Archives breach and that Sherrill implicated herself when she confirmed the New Jersey Globe's report. The campaign said Nicholas De Gregorio, a friend who is not directly involved in the campaign, submitted a lawful FOIA request about Sherrill's military background on his own accord.

A spokesperson for the National Archives and Records Administration said the technician who responded to De Gregorio's request about Sherrill's military record "should NOT have released the entire record," which included private information like her Social Security number. The Ciattarelli campaign is refusing to destroy those documents that were inadvertently sent to De Gregorio and later shared with the campaign. The National Archives apologized for the breach of privacy and has committed to holding their staff accountable for the blunder.

Ciattarelli’s campaign later said it submitted its own FOIA request as part of its review, which confirmed Sherrill's name was not on the U.S. Naval Academy graduation program that year. “I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor,” Sherrill told The Globe when confronted with the commencement program, defending not releasing any disciplinary records from her time at the academy.

"Contrary to your client's baseless claims, no one leaked anything to the campaign to try to smear Sherrill," a Ciattarelli campaign lawyer wrote in a letter, adding that if the assertion persisted, they would pursue defamation claims. The letter also asserted there was no conspiracy to obtain or disseminate private records and argued that the campaign was awaiting Sherrill’s public release of records related to her involvement in the scandal.

Democrats were swift to link the breach to the Trump administration. Former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia's Democratic gubernatorial nominee, decried the data breach as a "slap in the face to our nation's brave servicemembers" and called it shameful. DNC Chair Ken Martin said the breach showed the administration of Donald Trump and Republicans weaponizing the federal government for political purposes. House Democrats, including House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Rep. Robert Garcia and New Jersey’s congressional delegation, urged formal inquiries into the incident, with some calling for a criminal investigation.

"The Trump administration’s decision to release her unredacted military personnel files to her opponent's campaign, including her Social Security number, is yet another example of Donald Trump and the Republicans illegally weaponizing the federal government for political purposes," Ken Martin said, echoing a broad condemnation from the Democratic Party.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill and other party figures pressed for accountability. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries said he would support a criminal investigation into the unauthorized and illegal release of Sherrill's records. California Rep. Robert Garcia, who chairs the House Oversight Committee, and members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation joined in calls for a formal, independent inquiry. Some Democrats invoked the broader pattern of doxxing and privacy violations as part of the political climate surrounding the race. Navy combat veteran Rep. Mark Kelly and Gov. Gavin Newsom publicly condemned the breach and its partisan use.

The White House did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the disclosures or the political fallout.

The back-and-forth underscored a campaign season already dominated by questions about private records, discipline, and the proper handling of sensitive personal information. As Ciattarelli vowed to pursue legal action, Sherrill and her allies framed the disclosures as part of a broader effort to undermine a sitting lieutenant commander who has positioned herself as a capable, veteran-tailored candidate. The dispute has become a focal point in the tight gubernatorial contest, with each side alleging improper leverage over private records to influence voters as the race edges toward Election Day in New Jersey.