EXCLUSIVE: SSA Rejects Whistleblower Claims, Slams Alleged Release Of Sensitive Data As ‘Highly Irresponsible’

The Social Security Administration (SSA) rejected whistleblower Charles Borges’ assertions and denounced the alleged release of sensitive information to the public, according to a letter obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller.

Borges resigned Friday from his position as chief data officer at the agency, claiming he was departing his role “involuntarily,” citing concerns over the the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) handling of SSA data, according to a resignation letter published by the Government Accountability Project (GAP).

Borges alleged that his attempts to address the issues were rejected. (RELATED: Social Security Head Still Relying On DOGE To Revamp Agency After Musk’s Exit)

Letter to GAP 8.29.25 by ashley

Mark A. Steffensen, chief of law, policy & legislative affairs and general counsel for the SSA, responded in a letter obtained by the Caller on Monday to whistleblower allegations made in a disclosure submitted on August 26 by GAP, which represents Borges.

He emphasized the agency respects “the right of any SSA employee to exercise their legal rights without fear of retaliation,” but expressed disagreement with the allegations.

“We strongly disagree with the Letter’s allegations and fail to see how the related exhibits (the Exhibits) support those allegations and your conclusions. In fact, as your own Exhibits show, SSA rigorously follows security procedures with involvement and oversight by long-time Agency career professionals, and continues to upgrade core IT systems and network security,” he stated.

Steffensen criticized the whistleblower letter, which was addressed to the chairs of relevant Congressional committees and the Office of the Special Counsel. He claimed the letter demonstrated “a lack of understanding” of the agency’s security methods, and he highlighted concerns over the alleged leak of “proprietary” data in an un-redacted form.

Wow. On NPR, @gbrumfiel reports a Social Security official “copied the Social Security numbers, names and birthdays of over 300 million Americans to a private section of the agency’s cloud.”

The source is a whistleblower, who is named: Charles Borges, SSN chief data officer. pic.twitter.com/r08HqOLKBy

— Steve Inskeep (@NPRinskeep) August 26, 2025

“[T]he Exhibits expose proprietary Agency data and have now been made public. The fact that this information is now publicly available in an un-redacted format is alarming and represents a highly irresponsible release of sensitive government materials,” Steffensen asserted. (RELATED: ‘Don’t Buy Into The Lies’: Karoline Leavitt Sets ‘Record Straight’ On Musk, DOGE And Social Security Waste)

The SSA’s general counsel also states that the exhibits in GAP’s letter contain emails and documents outlining specific data fields and details about the agency’s systems. They further disclose the names, contact information and other personal details of SSA employees who handle highly sensitive work, according to Steffensen.

While personally identifiable information remains secure at SSA, the agency is “actively mitigating the risk” caused by the whistleblower disclosures, according to the agency’s letter.

Steffensen contends that while GAP accuses the agency of security failures, GAP’s own disclosure is allegedly creating the very risks the organization claims to highlight.

“The irony is not lost on me or this Agency that your so-called ‘protected disclosure’ purports to allege ‘serious data security lapses’ at SSA while you have taken that very action to put the Agency and its employees at serious risk,” the letter said.

Steffensen further demanded that GAP “cease and desist” any future sharing of any un-redacted exhibits and remove “all current postings from public domain.”

In his whistleblower complaint, Borges alleged that “data security lapses” risked the security of more than 300 million Americans’ Social Security information.

“In recent weeks Mr. Borges has become aware through reports to him of serious data security lapses, evidently orchestrated by DOGE officials, currently employed as SSA employees, that risk the security of over 300 million Americans’ Social Security data,” the letter claimed. (RELATED: Social Security Administration Backs Off Phone Cuts After Public Outcry)

🎥 Now on @MSNBC: Our whistleblower and former SSA Chief Data Officer Charles Borges’s disclosure reveals the extent of DOGE’s breach of Social Security data

Former Governor Martin O’Malley (D-MD) joins MSNBC’s Ali Velshi to discuss how DOGE staffers seemingly authorized… pic.twitter.com/8kghgH5VzG

— Government Accountability Project (@GovAcctProj) September 2, 2025

A federal judge initially blocked DOGE from accessing Social Security data in March, but the Supreme Court later overturned that ruling in June.

Editor’s Note: This story was updated to reflect that Borges’ disclosure was sent by GAP.