Investigation into unauthorized DOGE access to Social Security info sought

FedScoop reports that Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is calling for an independent investigation into reports that representatives from the Department of Government Efficiency may have improperly accessed and transferred sensitive data from the Social Security Administration.

The senator, the top Democrat on the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, said new disclosures indicate DOGE personnel may have mishandled Americans' most sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers. A whistleblower cited in a report from The Washington Post alleged that a former DOGE engineer copied data from SSA databases Numident and the Master Death File onto a thumb drive and planned to share it with a private-sector employer. Peters also addressed letters to SSA's Assistant Inspector General for Audit Michelle Anderson and SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano. He has requested records, communications, and interviews connected to DOGE's work at SSA and risk assessments.

"Without a thorough, independent investigation, I may never know whether SSA data was manipulated, leaked, or stolen because of the opaque nature of DOGE operations," Peters said.