Washington, D.C. — In a significant disclosure that has raised privacy and security concerns, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) acknowledged in recent court filings that operatives from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may have improperly accessed and shared sensitive Social Security Administration (SSA) data while engaging with an outside political advocacy group seeking to “overturn election results,” according to public legal documents and federal disclosures.
The admission, disclosed in a January 16 DOJ filing in a case involving SSA data access, marks a reversal from earlier statements by federal officials that no data misuse had occurred. The documents reveal that two DOGE staffers, operating within the SSA, signed a Voter Data Agreement with the advocacy group and communicated via email and other channels about analyzing state voter rolls.
The advocacy group involved has not been publicly named in court records. Court papers indicate the group intended to combine voter registration information it had acquired with SSA data to identify alleged irregularities and support efforts to contest election outcomes in certain U.S. states.
Federal officials also disclosed that DOGE team members used an unauthorized third-party service, Cloudflare, to transmit sensitive files, including a password-protected dataset containing the names and addresses of approximately 1,000 individuals drawn from SSA systems, a move that violated agency data protection protocols. SSA investigators have stated they cannot yet determine what specific information was shared or whether it remains on the server.
Although SSA has said it has not found conclusive evidence that widespread sensitive data was transferred, the admission has intensified scrutiny of the Trump administration–backed initiative, which was launched under the leadership of tech entrepreneur Elon Musk to reduce federal costs and improve efficiency. Musk stepped down from his role with DOGE in May 2025 amid internal dissent and controversy.
The court filing also flagged potential violations of the Hatch Act, which restricts federal employees from engaging in certain types of partisan political activity. The two DOGE personnel were reportedly referred to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel for further review on those grounds.
Lawmakers have sharply criticized the revelations. Congressional leaders have called for full investigations and possible prosecutions, arguing that misuse of Americans’ Social Security details, one of the most sensitive categories of personal information, represents a serious breach of public trust and federal privacy law.
Privacy and data security experts say the episode underscores systemic risks when sensitive government databases are accessed or shared outside established safeguards, particularly where political objectives are involved. Federal officials have pledged continued investigation as litigation over DOGE’s access rights and practices continues in the courts.
Originally Published By: Wired, The Guardian, People coverage of the DOJ admission on DOGE and Social Security data.
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