In a formal correction to statements made in federal court nearly a year ago, the Justice Department last week admitted that employees of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had, in fact, jeopardized the security of Americans’ personal Social Security data.
The admission of wrongdoing was made in a legal case filed in February 2025 by a coalition of labor unions and allies, among them AFSCME. The lawsuit, which is still pending on appeal, alleges that DOGE employees illegally accessed private Social Security data, bypassed key safeguards and placed the private information of millions of people at risk of exposure, theft or abuse.
“Exactly as we warned, the billionaires running DOGE have put our private data at risk,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said today in a joint press statement. “Their mishandling of Americans’ Social Security information directly endangers working peoples’ and retirees’ economic security, all to advance their extreme anti-worker agenda.”
Through two separate filings this week — one in federal district court and one in the federal Court of Appeals — the unions and retiree advocates made sure that the appellate court currently reviewing the case has an updated record that includes the Justice Department's damning admission. Examples of wrongdoing cited in the filings include:
- an acknowledgment by the Justice Department that individuals' personal data was disclosed to third parties using a non-government server; and
- a disclosure that a DOGE team member at the Social Security Administration (SSA) entered into a “voter data agreement” after being asked by someone outside the government to analyze state voter rolls.
The bombshell disclosure comes as the Trump administration is under fire for its attempts to misuse individuals' personal information to purge voter rolls in states ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Although in June the U.S. Supreme Court allowed DOGE to continue its unlawful access to the sensitive, personal data of millions of people at the SSA, this case is far from over. AFSCME and our allies will continue the fight to protect the economic security of working people and retirees.
“Our case has continued to bring to light how this administration is failing workers and seniors, and we will continue to press forward to ensure everyone can retire with security and dignity,” Saunders also said.