House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Thursday he wants a "criminal investigation" over reports that the National Archives may have violated federal law in its release of Rep. Mikie Sherrill's (D-N.J.) records.
Why it matters: The incident has supercharged what was already a closely watched gubernatorial race between Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli.
- CBS News reported that the National Personnel Records Center, a division of the National Archives that deals with military service members' records, released Sherrill's full military file almost completely unredacted.
- The documents were reportedly given to Nicholas De Gregorio, an ally of Ciattarelli, who told the outlet it is "completely and totally false" that the Trump administration released the records to damage Sherrill politically.
- NPRC spokesperson Grace McCaffrey said in a statement to Axios that the records were released "in error" and that the technician who released them "did not follow NPRC's standard operating procedures."
What they're saying: "I support a criminal investigation into the unauthorized and illegal release of Mikie Sherrill's records," Jeffries said at a press conference on Thursday.
- "Mikie Sherrill is a patriot and a hero who has served this country, graduated from the Naval Academy, helicopter pilot, tours of duty in dangerous places overseas in the Middle East," he said.
- "It's outrageous that Donald Trump and his administration and political hacks connected to them continue to violate the law, and they will be held accountable."
Between the lines: The NPRC "immediately initiated a thorough review of all internal controls" when it learned of the release of Sherrill's whole file, McCaffrey said, and "will hold our staff accountable for failing to follow proper administrative procedures."
- McCaffrey added that the NPRC alerted the National Archives' inspector general. She said the National Archives have apologized to Sherrill through her office and is coordinating with the Department of the Navy.
- "While breaches of this type do occur, they are exceedingly rare. NARA takes its responsibility for safeguarding the personally identifiable information in its holdings seriously," she said.
Zoom in: CBS reported that the release of the documents, which include Sherrill's Social Security number, home addresses, life insurance information and other sensitive details, may have violated the Privacy Act of 1974.
What to watch: "We are calling on Jack Ciattarelli and the Trump administration to immediately stop illegally distributing Mikie Sherrill's military files," Sherrill campaign communications director Sean Higgins said in a statement.
- The Ciattarelli campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FBI and White House declined to comment.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
