Archives’ Accidental Release of Sherrill Military Records Shakes New Jersey Governor’s Race

New Jersey’s heated governor’s race took a surprising turn when the National Archives accidentally gave Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill’s mostly unredacted service records to a Republican opponent’s ally. The disclosure has prompted accusations of political weaponization of federal records and calls for a full investigation.

Sherrill’s Social Security number, home location, performance evaluations, life insurance, and Naval Academy record were published. Redactions seem minimal. A National Personnel Records Center technician at the Archives system was scolded for not following Freedom of Information Act redaction protocol. The Archives has notified its inspector general of an internal review.

Sherrill’s staff and Democratic leaders immediately criticized the distribution as an illegal, deliberate campaign hit. Her communications director accused the Trump administration and Ciattarelli campaign of collaborating to distribute the papers, violating federal privacy law. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries demanded a criminal investigation into the distribution’s federal law violations.

A close race is tightened by disclosure. Before November, Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are deadlocked in polls. Sherrill’s team claims the material should never have been distributed so fully and that veterans running for office should never worry about privacy.

Beyond the privacy violation, Sherrill’s decades-old scandal has drawn attention. The announcement says she was prevented from walking at her 1994 U.S. Naval Academy graduation for refusing to identify cheating classmates. Though not accused of cheating, her failure to denounce others disqualified her from the tournament. Sherrill argues that this proclamation should not overshadow her career and record, as she graduated and served over a decade in the Navy with distinction.

Republican candidate Ciattarelli wants Sherrill’s disciplinary and academy records made public because of her scandal participation. Sherrill’s staff declined because institutional regulations seal the files.

The federal government and Congress are probing how an unredacted material was released. Legal experts advise withholding or redacting this type of personal information before public publication under the Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act. New Jersey congressional Democrats have since requested various House and Senate oversight committees to examine federal agency misuse.

As the issue grows, it might affect New Jersey’s governor’s campaign and how government agencies handle veterans’ data in political situations. The scandal has heightened the already contentious campaign in weeks, making the November 4 governor’s election one of the most closely watched in recent history.