In March 2026, the inspector general of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) determined that the unauthorized release of New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill’s largely unredacted military records during the previous year’s gubernatorial election stemmed from a mistake rather than a deliberate political maneuver. For further details, click here.
Washington — A division of the National Archives inadvertently provided a nearly complete version of Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill’s military records to Nicholas De Gregorio, a supporter of her Republican rival, Jack Ciattarelli, during the New Jersey governor’s campaign. This incident raises potential violations of the Privacy Act of 1974 and certain exemptions outlined in the Freedom of Information Act.
The documents, also obtained by CBS News, suggest that the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), which is responsible for maintaining military and civil service records for U.S. personnel, released Sherrill’s military file with minimal redactions. CBS News uncovered this significant oversight while investigating Sherrill’s alleged connection to the 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal, in which over a hundred midshipmen were accused of cheating on an exam. Sherrill has stated that she was not involved in the cheating and that her only action was not to report her peers.
The released documents contained sensitive information, including Sherrill’s Social Security number, which was present on nearly every page, along with her and her parents’ home addresses, life insurance details, performance evaluations, and a nondisclosure agreement regarding classified information. The only redacted information consists of the Social Security numbers of her former supervisors. Notably, these files appear to be the same ones Sherrill requested from the NPRC in August 2017, as indicated by a verification page within the documents.
Upon inquiry from CBS News, the NPRC acknowledged that a technician failed to adhere to standard protocols for record releases, which should have limited the disclosure to only portions permitted under FOIA guidelines. Grace McCaffrey from NARA stated in an email, “The technician should NOT have released the entire record.”
McCaffrey further noted that the Archives became aware of the breach on a Tuesday and promptly began reviewing internal controls to understand the technician’s deviation from established procedures. The NPRC also informed the agency’s inspector general about the breach and reached out to Sherrill’s congressional office to express its apologies.
Political campaigns, opposition research firms, and media organizations frequently seek military records of current or former service members running for office to conduct background checks and provide voters with pertinent information. While military veterans and the families of deceased service members can request the entirety of their military service records, the general public can only access these files 62 years after the individual’s military service concludes. For other requests, only sections of the military records are made available, with certain parts redacted for privacy and national security reasons.
As the competitive New Jersey gubernatorial race unfolds—recent polling indicates a tie between Sherrill and Ciattarelli—Republicans aligned with Ciattarelli have been scrutinizing Sherrill’s military background, particularly in relation to the Naval Academy cheating scandal, which involved allegations against numerous midshipmen regarding a challenging electrical engineering exam.
Sherrill has maintained a commendable record in the Navy, having received a Navy Achievement Medal in 1991 for rescuing a classmate. Neither the records released to De Gregorio nor those disclosed to CBS News under the Freedom of Information Act implicated her in the 1994 Naval Academy scandal.
A separate document obtained by CBS News, which was not part of the files released by the Archives, indicates that Sherrill’s name was not included in the commencement program for the Naval Academy graduation held on May 25, 1994. The authenticity of the program has been verified by the U.S. Naval Academy.
When questioned by CBS News regarding her absence from the commencement program, Sherrill responded, “During my time at the Naval Academy, I chose not to report some of my classmates, which is why I did not walk at graduation. However, I graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving nearly a decade with the utmost distinction and honor.”
She further asserted, “It is a violation of all who have served our country that Jack Ciattarelli and the Trump administration are unlawfully exploiting my records for political advantage. No veteran’s record should be at risk.”
While Ciattarelli did not comment specifically on the release of Sherrill’s records, he mentioned on social media her absence during graduation, calling it “stunning and deeply disturbing” that she was linked to the scandal, despite Sherrill’s clarification that her decision not to report classmates was the reason for her not walking at graduation.
The White House has referred the issue to the National Archives.
De Gregorio, a Marine veteran and former Republican congressional candidate in New Jersey, shared with CBS News, “In today’s politically charged environment, Rep. Sherrill will likely attempt to frame my actions as malicious and claim that the records were leaked by the Trump Administration to harm her, which, as we both know, is entirely untrue.” He mentioned that Chris Russell, a Republican consultant in New Jersey, had requested his assistance in researching Sherrill’s background.
De Gregorio added, “Russell asked me to see if I could find any information on Sherrill, and my first action was to explore what I could obtain through FOIA, marking my initial experience in such a process.”
