If you know one thing about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill, it’s that she was a Navy helicopter pilot. Her real first name, Rebecca? That’s classified information her campaign has yet to release.
Now, a branch of the National Archives admits it committed a “serious error” by releasing the unredacted military records of Blue Dog Democratic Rep. Rebecca Michelle “Mikie” Sherrill—containing highly personal information—to an ally of her Republican opponent, Jack Ciattarelli.
The disclosure included highly sensitive personal information and has ignited a political firestorm in the final stretch of the New Jersey governor’s race.
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), part of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), released Sherrill’s comprehensive Official Military Personnel File in late June to Nicholas De Gregorio, a former Republican congressional candidate.
The documents contained Sherrill’s Social Security number, which appeared on nearly every page, along with home addresses for her and her parents, life insurance information, performance evaluations, and a classified information nondisclosure agreement.
In a letter to Sherrill, NPRC Director Scott Levins apologized, stating the release was done “in error” and was “exceedingly rare.”
He attributed the mistake to a technician who failed to follow standard operating procedures, which mandate that only information releasable under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) be provided to the general public.
The agency has alerted its inspector general and is providing Sherrill with credit monitoring services.
A Political Flashpoint
The incident has immediately become a central issue in the tight New Jersey gubernatorial race.
Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, has built her political brand around her military service. Her campaign has sent cease-and-desist letters to De Gregorio, Ciattarelli’s campaign, and his chief strategist, Chris Russell.
“This is an illegal and dangerous weaponization of the federal government,” Sherrill stated, accusing the Trump administration and the Ciattarelli campaign of breaking the law for political gain. “No veteran’s record is safe.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has called for a criminal investigation, labeling the release “outrageous.”
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., who endorsed Republican Governor Chris Christie’s re-election effort, blamed Trump for illegally releasing “sensitive, personal information about Mikie Sherrill – her Social Security number, insurance records and her home address.”
“And the Ciattarelli campaign is not blameless either, as they requested the information and then weaponized it against Mikie,” said DiVincenzo. “As an American citizen, I am outraged that our government would jeopardize the safety of a veteran who served in the military with distinction and a resident who has represented her country, and smear her name and reputation.”
The Ciattarelli campaign, however, has focused on the content of the records, which revealed Sherrill was barred from walking in her 1994 Naval Academy graduation for failing to report classmates involved in a cheating scandal.
“The bottom line is she’s violated the Navy’s code of honor,” said Ciattarelli, whose campaign demanded she release her disciplinary records, although Sherrill was not directly accused of cheating.
How the Breach Occurred
According to De Gregorio, he filed the FOIA request in May after Russell, a consultant for the Ciattarelli campaign, asked him to “see what he could find” on Sherrill.
De Gregorio expressed shock upon receiving the unredacted file, telling CBS News, “When I saw [Sherrill’s] Social (Security number), I was shocked… I’m a little shocked and kind of disgusted that the social was there.”
“The National Archives leak of Mikie Sherrill’s personal information is an illegal and disturbing act pushed by Jack Ciattarelli’s team for political gain,” said EMILYs List President Jessica Mackler. “Veterans, like Mikie Sherrill, fearlessly protected our country and should expect our country to protect their private information in return.”
“This is just the latest example of the Trump administration weaponizing nonpartisan services of the federal government to help himself and his Republican allies, and the only way to stop their recklessness is to take back power by electing Democratic women up and down the ballot,” said Mackler.
The NPRC has asked De Gregorio not to disseminate the information further. The agency’s disclosure potentially violates the Privacy Act of 1974, which protects such personal data.
The controversy echoes a similar incident from 2023, when the military records of Republican Reps. Don Bacon and Zach Nunn were inappropriately released to a Democratic-aligned research firm.
Speaking of arcane and ancient information, Sherrill was barred from walking at her 1994 U.S. Naval Academy graduation as punishment for failing to report classmates involved in a massive cheating scandal. Sherrill confirmed her absence was due to not turning in classmates, but she did graduate and was commissioned as a naval officer.
That revelation comes as a new poll shows the once-frontrunner Sherrill now tied with her Republican opponent, but the conservative Democrat’s campaign has dismissed the relevance of the 30-year-old incident.
Ciattarelli’s campaign calls it an alarming lack of transparency from a candidate who has built her political brand around her military service. Still, the Republican has not commented on President Donald Trump’s refusal to release files related to convicted child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, suggesting that he has an interest in transparency only when it comes to his opponent.
With six weeks until the election, the breach has raised serious concerns about the privacy of veterans’ records and intensified an already contentious campaign.
The Republican candidate is not named ‘Jack,’ and this is the third time Giacchino Michael Ciattarelli has been a candidate for governor.