{"id":2585858,"date":"2026-03-31T18:56:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T22:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-watchdog-says-error-caused-release-of-sherrills-records\/"},"modified":"2026-03-31T18:58:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T22:58:25","slug":"federal-watchdog-says-error-caused-release-of-sherrills-records","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-watchdog-says-error-caused-release-of-sherrills-records\/","title":{"rendered":"Federal watchdog says error caused release of Sherrill&#8217;s records"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffederal-watchdog-says-error-caused-release-of-sherrills-records%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2585858&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The National Archives\u2019 inspector general found that the unredacted release of mikie Sherrill\u2019s military records in 2025 was due to human error by a records technician, not partisan manipulation. The release,which occurred during Sherrill\u2019s gubernatorial campaign and exposed sensitive details such as her Social Security number and home addresses,resulted from a routine FOIA request and was attributed to the technician being distracted and failing to escalate the request for higher review. Investigators recommended disciplinary action, with supervisory staff proposing the Archives technician be removed from federal service for neglect of duty. The <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >incident unfolded amid broader allegations<\/a> that Sherrill was tied to a 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal; sherrill and Democratic allies blamed the Trump administration and Ciattarelli supporters for politically motivated leaking, while Ciattarelli\u2019s camp contended the release was the archives\u2019 error unrelated to the cheating allegations. The article frames the episode as a highly politicized controversy with ongoing calls for accountability and further scrutiny.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Federal watchdog blames human error for release of Mikie Sherrill&rsquo;s military records<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2392505\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>The <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-archives\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/national-archives\/\">National Archives&rsquo;s<\/a> watchdog determined Tuesday that the mistaken release of Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mikie-sherrill\/\">Mikie Sherrill&rsquo;s <\/a>(D-NJ) military records during her gubernatorial campaign last fall was due to human error, not partisan maneuvering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The National Archives released Sherrill&rsquo;s unredacted <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/military\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"266\">military records<\/a>, including sensitive information such as her Social Security number and home addresses, in 2025, explaining that the release occurred due to a technician&rsquo;s mistake during a routine records request. But Sherrill and her Democratic allies <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3825270\/jeffries-criminal-investigation-archives-illegal-release-mikie-sherrill-military-records\/\">blamed the release <\/a>on her rival, Republican candidate <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jack-ciattarelli\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11220\">Jack Ciattarelli<\/a>, and the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"339\">Trump administration<\/a>, suggesting they deliberately leaked the information to sabotage her 2025 campaign for New Jersey governor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4511055\/new-york-campaign-board-bruce-blakeman-denied-matching-funds\/\">New York campaign board denies Bruce Blakeman $7 million in matching funds<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4509727\/fbi-investigation-eric-swalwell-could-tip-scales-california-governor\/\">FBI investigation into Eric Swalwell could tip scales in crowded California gubernatorial race<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4502471\/trump-endorsement-power-tested-louisiana-gop-senate\/\">Power of Trump endorsement tested in Louisiana GOP Senate primary<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>The National Archives&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-senator-investigates-ecohealth-over-possible-taxpayer-double-billing-for-work-in-china\/\" title=\"GOP senator investigates EcoHealth over possible taxpayer \u2018double-billing\u2019 for work in China\">inspector general launched<\/a> an investigation amid the allegations of partisan warfare last September. The investigation concluded that the archives technician assigned to handle the request should have notified his supervisor to escalate the request for a higher level of review, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/archives-inspector-general-mikie-sherrill-military-records-report\/\">according to <\/a>a report published by CBS News on Tuesday. The mistake was likely &ldquo;caused by being distracted and not focusing entirely on the task at hand,&rdquo; the Archives technician told federal investigators.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Based on the gravity of the improper release, on December 16, 2025, supervisory staff proposed the Archives Technician for removal from Federal service for Neglect of Duty,&rdquo; the investigation found.<\/p>\n<p>The records were released last year to a Ciattarelli ally amid allegations that Sherrill was implicated in a 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal. They indicated that the then-congresswoman and war veteran was barred from walking in her 1994 Naval Academy graduation because she did not report classmates who had cheated on an exam.<\/p>\n<p>Sherrill noted that she did not cheat herself and suggested the Trump administration, along with the Ciattarelli campaign, coordinated the release of records to derail her career.&nbsp; At the time, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) pushed for a criminal investigation into the records&rsquo; allegedly &ldquo;unauthorized and illegal release.&rdquo; Ranking member of the House oversight committee Robert Garcia (D-CA) called the release of the information about Sherrill an &ldquo;illegal and likely politically motivated disclosure.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Trump administration blatantly violated federal law by releasing Mikie Sherrill&rsquo;s unredacted personal military records to an agent of the Ciattarelli campaign, which were then distributed and weaponized by Jack Ciattarelli. This is a breathtaking, disturbing leak that must be thoroughly investigated. Once again, the Trump administration is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ted-cruz-manages-to-trigger-leftists-by-doing-something-millions-of-americans-do-every-year\/\" title=\"Ted Cruz Manages To Trigger Leftists by Doing Something Millions of Americans Do Every Year\">targeting political opponents<\/a> with an absolute disregard for the law, this time in concert with the Ciattarelli campaign,&rdquo; the Sherrill campaign said <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.insidernj.com\/at-request-of-ciattarelli-operative-trump-administration-illegally-releases-mikie-sherrills-unredacted-personal-military-records\/\">last September<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Ciattarelli&rsquo;s camp stood by their claims that the records request was ethical and that the sensitive information was released due to the National Archives&rsquo;s error.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The National Archives provided documents in response to a legitimate and perfectly legal FOIA request. Documents, btw, that had NOTHING to do with the cheating scandal. The National Archives then apologized to the requester and took full responsibility for their error,&rdquo; political operative Chris Russell, who was a spokesman for the Ciattarelli campaign, said <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ChrisRussell_NJ\/status\/1971275478091633006\">in a post<\/a> to X. &ldquo;Sherrill was implicated &amp; punished in the largest cheating and honor code scandal in Naval Academy history and has lied about it for years.&nbsp;Now she is trying to distract from that with more lies.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4487104\/mikie-sherrill-new-jersey-affordability-budget\/\"><strong>MIKIE SHERRILL TOUTS NEW JERSEY &lsquo;AFFORDABILITY BUDGET&rsquo; WITH $1.7 BILLION STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IN SPEECH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ciattarelli&rsquo;s allies heralded the results of the National Archives&rsquo;s investigation into the debacle as a vindication this week.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;As we said all along, the Ciattarelli campaign did nothing wrong. Now that the phony &lsquo;Trump did it&rsquo; smokescreen &mdash; which most of the NJ press corps fell for &mdash; has been proven false, Governor Sherrill should come clean and release the records about her involvement in the Naval Academy cheating scandal,&rdquo; attorney Mark Sheridan, who represented Ciattarelli&rsquo;s campaign, told CBS News.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Archives\u2019 inspector general ruled that the accidental disclosure of Mikie Sherrill\u2019s unredacted military records during her gubernatorial bid was due to human error, not political manipulation. The records, including sensitive details like her Social Security number and home addresses, were released in 2025 because a records technician mishandled a routine request. Sherrill and Democrats had accused Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli and the Trump administration of deliberately leaking the information to derail her campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The watchdogs opened the probe last September amid claims of partisan motive. The findings said the technician should have alerted a supervisor to escalate for a higher level review, and the error likely stemmed from distraction. Because of the severity of the improper release, supervisory staff recommended removing the technician from federal service for neglect of duty on December 16, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>The records went to a Ciattarelli ally amid accusations that Sherrill was involved in a 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal. The documents suggested she was barred from walking at the 1994 graduation for not reporting cheating by classmates. Sherrill denied cheating and asserted coordination between the Trump administration and Ciattarelli\u2019s campaign to derail her career.<\/p>\n<p>In Congress, Democrats urged a criminal investigation into what they called an unauthorized and illegal disclosure, while a ranking member described the release as illegal and likely politically motivated. The Sherrill campaign claimed the leak was orchestrated by the Trump administration and Ciattarelli\u2019s campaign, a charge they said warranted investigation. Ciattarelli\u2019s adviser argued the release came from a legitimate FOIA request, apologized for the error, and had nothing to do with the Naval Academy matter; Ciattarelli allies maintained the IG\u2019s findings vindicate their side and pressed for Sherrill to disclose more about the Naval Academy incident<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3142,"featured_media":2585859,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25308532525670.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[76919,76916,76918,76917,60820],"class_list":["post-2585858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-data-security","tag-federal-watchdog-2","tag-privacy-breach","tag-records-release-2","tag-sherrill"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AP25308532525670.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3142"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2585858"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2585862,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2585858\/revisions\/2585862"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2585859"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2585858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2585858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2585858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}