Whistleblower from the Social Security department, alleging improper handling of citizens' confidential data related to DOGE, exits position

Whistleblower from the Social Security department, who claimed that officials at DOGE breached the privacy of Americans' sensitive data, announces his resignation.

, and Administrator

2025 September 11 . 12:24 PM

2 min read

Whistleblower from Social Security alleges improper handling of American's confidential... — Whistleblower from Social Security alleges improper handling of American's confidential information, steps down from their position on the job regarding DOGE.

Charles Borges, the Chief Data Officer of the Social Security Administration (SSA), has resigned from his position, citing concerns over the mishandling of Social Security data. Borges is represented by the Government Accountability Project, a non-profit whistleblower organization, in his whistleblower case.

In his resignation letter, Borges claimed that the agency's actions since his complaint have made his duties impossible to perform legally and ethically, causing him distress. He stated that he no longer felt he could continue to work for the SSA in good conscience, given what he had witnessed.

The complaint filed by Borges states that more than 300 million Americans' Social Security data was put at risk by Department of Government Efficiency officials. The alleged risk to Social Security data involved sensitive information such as health diagnoses, income, banking information, familial relationships, and personal biographic data.

The whistleblower case filed by Borges is being handled by the Government Accountability Project. The story has been corrected to reflect that Borges is being represented in the whistleblower case by the Government Accountability Project, not The Project Government Accountability Office.

Earlier this year, labor and retiree groups filed a lawsuit against the SSA, challenging the agency's decision to allow DOGE access to Americans' sensitive data. The appeals panel's decision this month allowed DOGE to access the Americans' sensitive agency data, a move that has been met with criticism from various quarters.

President Donald Trump's DOGE has faced scrutiny for receiving unprecedented access from the Republican administration to troves of personal data across the government under the mandate of eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.

The SSA declined to comment on Borges' resignation or allegations against the agency in his letter to colleagues. Borges declined to comment on his resignation. The Government Accountability Project, which is representing Borges in his whistleblower case, posted Borges' resignation letter on its website.

Borges will continue to work with the proper oversight bodies on the matter. He has stated that should bad actors gain access to the cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for re-issuing every American a new Social Security Number at great cost.

This development comes at a time when data security is a critical concern for many Americans, especially in the wake of numerous data breaches in recent years. The SSA's handling of sensitive data will undoubtedly be under close scrutiny in the coming days and weeks.