Social Security Inspector General Launches Investigation into Massive Data Breach Allegations
The Social Security Administration's inspector general office has initiated a formal investigation following a whistleblower complaint that alleges a former employee of President Donald Trump's now-defunct "Department of Government Efficiency" (DOGE) exploited Americans' private information. In a document obtained by HuffPost on Tuesday, the internal watchdog informed the chairs and ranking members of four congressional committees last week that it was launching the probe after receiving an anonymous complaint regarding "the potential misuse of SSA data by a former DOGE employee."
Details of the Alleged Data Misuse
According to The Washington Post, which reviewed the claim and spoke with the whistleblower, the complaint states that a former DOGE software engineer had access to two highly sensitive SSA databases. The engineer allegedly planned to share Americans' personal information with his new private sector employer. These databases contain private details for more than 500 million Americans, both living and deceased, including:
- Social Security numbers
- Birthplaces and birthdates
- Citizenship status
- Parents' names
- Races and ethnicities
The complaint further claims that the former DOGE worker told the whistleblower he needed assistance uploading a thumb drive containing the data to his personal computer to "sanitize" it before transferring it to his new workplace. Additionally, the worker allegedly informed another colleague that he believed Trump would pardon him if caught engaging in illegal activities.
Lawmakers Express Grave Concerns
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), one of the lawmakers notified about the complaint, expressed deep concern over the allegations. In a statement, he said, "These allegations describe one of the largest known data breaches in American history, perpetrated by Trump appointees for the explicit purpose of weaponizing Americans' sensitive personal data for political gain. There must be a full public accounting of this breach at Social Security, including justice for anyone who committed or enabled criminal theft of Americans' data."
Representative Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) highlighted additional security risks, warning that the former DOGE employee might have the ability to access and alter SSA data remotely. "Not only has an ex-DOGE bro been accused of running around with the social security information of every American on a flash drive, he also may have the ability to edit and manipulate data at the Social Security Administration at will," Garcia stated, calling the situation "dangerous and outrageous."
Ongoing Security Issues with DOGE
Security concerns related to DOGE, a government cost-cutting initiative led by tech billionaire and former Trump ally Elon Musk, have persisted. In January, the Trump administration admitted in court that DOGE staffers had unauthorized access to sensitive SSA data and may have shared it outside the agency. This is not the first whistleblower complaint alleging misconduct at DOGE; in August, a complaint from the SSA's chief data officer, Charles Borges, claimed that DOGE staffers recklessly created a live copy of the SSA's most sensitive database and stored it insecurely on a digital cloud server. The investigation into those allegations remains ongoing.
Arthur Delaney contributed reporting to this story.
