DOJ admits DOGE may have mishandled Social Security data in violation of Hatch Act

The alleged misconduct was revealed in a court document filed Friday by DOJ Civil Division official Elizabeth Shapiro, who said the Social Security Administration referred two unidentified DOGE employees to the Office of Special Counsel for possible Hatch Act violations last month.

The federal law prohibits government employees from using their positions for political purposes.

SSA officials believed the DOGE employees needed to access the agency’s records to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, Shapiro explained. However, the SSA determined that the DOGE team may have had an ulterior motive.

A political advocacy group allegedly contacted DOGE to analyze state voter rolls it had acquired, according to the court document. The purported purpose of the request was to uncover voter fraud and overturn election results