Sherrill's Navy Record Personal Info Illegally Released To Ciattarelli Operative, Campaign Says

A mostly unredacted version of Mikie Sherrill's military records — including her Social Security number and addresses for her family — was released to an ally of Jack Ciattarelli, in a violation of federal privacy laws.

Sherrill, the Democrat for New Jersey governor against Ciattarelli, a Republican, was notified Monday of the illegal records release to Nicholas DeGregorio, "an unauthorized person," by the National Archives, her campaign said. The letter to Sherrill did not say when the records were released, but said DeGregorio requested them in June.

Sherrill is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former Navy helicopter pilot and later served as a federal prosecutor.

The release of her military records to DeGregorio was first reported by CBS News. DeGregorio is a donor to Ciattarelli's campaign and had been considered as Ciattarelli's running mate for lieutenant governor, the Sherrill campaign said.

The documents released were Sherrill's full military file and included her Social Security number on almost every page, along with addresses for her parents and life insurance records, the CBS News report said. The disclosure was by the National Personnel Records Center, part of the National Archives and Records Administration, which maintains personnel records for service members and civil servants of the U.S. government, the report said.

Also included were Sherrill's performance evaluations and the nondisclosure agreement between her and the U.S. government to safeguard classified information, the report said. The Privacy Act of 1974 and exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act bar the release of certain personal information.

"The Trump administration blatantly violated federal law by releasing Mikie Sherrill’s unredacted personal military records to an agent of the Ciattarelli campaign — which were then distributed and weaponized by Jack Ciattarelli," said Sean Higgins, Sherrill's communications director. "This is a breathtaking, disturbing leak that must be thoroughly investigated. Once again, the Trump administration is targeting political opponents with an absolute disregard for the law, this time in concert with the Ciattarelli campaign."

"We are calling on Jack Ciattarelli and the Trump administration to immediately stop illegally distributing Mikie Sherrill’s military files, with protected personal information like her Social Security Number, and we will explore appropriate legal action," Higgins said.

"This disrespects the service of all military veterans, jeopardizes the safety of their records, and shows that Jack Ciattarelli will say or do anything to get elected, no matter the dishonor he brings upon himself — and that should frighten everyone," Higgins said.

A Patch request for comment from the Ciattarelli campaign was not immediately answered.

Higgins said cease-and-desist letters had been sent to Ciattarelli, to Chris Russell, his campaign strategist, and to DeGregorio, warning them to not distribute the records any further.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone and New Jersey's Democratic congressional delegation demanded an immediate investigation into the records release, which they called an "unprecedented act" and "a serious violation of privacy" that "represents a brazen abuse of power intended to tarnish her reputation for political gain."

The release is "a blatant breach of clear protocols for handling sensitive and classified documents," the statement from Pallone and the lawmakers said. "This is a dangerous and corrupt attempt to weaponize the federal government for political purposes and meddle in New Jersey’s fall elections."

"Determining all individuals involved in this illegal act and punishing them to the fullest extent of the law is essential to restoring public trust and reassuring current and former servicemembers that their privacy will not be violated by their own government, nor will their military service be misconstrued for partisan gain," the members wrote.

CBS News said it discovered the breach while investigating whether Sherrill was involved in the 1994 Naval Academy scandal where more than 100 midshipmen were implicated in cheating on an exam. Sherrill was not accused of cheating and said her only involvement was not informing on her fellow classmates, the report said.

Sherrill graduated and was commissioned on May 25, 1994, the CBS report said. She did not walk during the Naval Academy commencement because "I didn't turn in some of my classmates," she told the network.