Gillibrand, Schumer, Alsobrooks Demand Accountability For Trump Administration’s Abuse Of Social Security Data

Gillibrand, Schumer, Alsobrooks Demand Accountability For Trump Administration's Abuse Of Social Security Data

Feb 2, 2026

Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), demanded a full investigation into the Trump administration's mishandling of Social Security data.

This letter follows the Trump administration admitting in court documents that staff from the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may have used Social Security worker and beneficiary data to work with an advocacy group seeking to "overturn election results in certain states." Additionally, the court filing revealed multiple flagrant violations of federal data security and personally identifiable information requirements.

"The unauthorized harvesting of Americans' Social Security data is a breach of public trust and a violation of federal laws," said Senator Gillibrand. "At a time when seniors trying to access their checks are already facing skyrocketing wait times and delayed benefits, the Social Security Administration must focus on serving the public, not handing over our private data to political extremists. I will keep holding the administration's feet to the fire until they fully investigate this incident and develop a comprehensive plan to protect our data in the future."

"Americans work hard their whole lives, paying into Social Security, and deserve to trust their personal information will be kept confidential. Trump's own Department of Justice is now admitting that Trump granted 'DOGE' staffers unprecedented access to Americans' private information with a complete disregard for privacy protections, violating the law and hardworking Americans' trust," said Senator Schumer."This could leave tens of millions of Americans vulnerable to identity theft costing billions of dollars. We need an immediate investigation, a full accounting of all of DOGE's impropriety and a comprehensive plan to protect Americans' data to ensure their private information is not exploited like this ever again."

"It is deeply concerning that after repeated denials, we now know that DOGE - through its reckless actions - compromised private and sensitive information of the public," said Alsobrooks. "It is incumbent on the wellbeing of our citizens that an independent and immediate investigation is conducted so that we know the size and scope of this data transfer, and those responsible for it are held accountable."

As the top Democrat on the Senate Aging Committee, Senator Gillibrand is a staunch supporter of Social Security. She recently introduced three bills to boost and protect benefits for seniors:

• Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act: would provide a $200-per-month increase to Social Security checks until July 2026.
• Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act: would increase Social Security benefits by leveraging the formula used to calculate yearly cost-of-living adjustments to better account for seniors' expenses.
• Keep Billionaires Out of Social Security Act: would help undo President Trump's damage to the Social Security Administration.

In response to Trump administration cuts and overhauls at SSA, Senator Gillibrand has rallied alongside seniors and unions to demand a reversal of staffing and service cuts and advocated against the closure of SSA field offices across the country and in New York. Following Senator Gillibrand's advocacy, SSA reversed its decision to restrict certain phone services that serve as lifelines to beneficiaries seeking to access and maintain benefits. She also invited Commissioner Bisignano to join her in a visit to an SSA field office in New York so they can evaluate the impact the Trump-era changes have had on SSA response times, communication, and outreach.

The letter can be found here and below:

Dear Acting Inspector General Anderson,

In a January 16, 2026, Department of Justice (DOJ) court filing, the Administration acknowledged that DOGE affiliated personnel improperly accessed and transmitted Social Security Administration (SSA) - maintained personally identifiable information to outside parties. The DOJ disclosure follows repeated assurances from the Administration and SSA that worker and beneficiary data had not been compromised in any manner by DOGE actions in 2025.

On November 20, 2025, we wrote to your office requesting a review of a series of disclosures made by former SSA Chief Data Officer Charles Borges regarding the violation of significant agency data requirements, as well as for a recommended remediation plan, if needed.

This subsequent disclosure further elevates the urgent need for the Office of the Inspector General to conduct its own investigation, and to present its findings to the U.S. Congress and to the American public. For over ninety years since its enactment in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Social Security has served as our nation's primary program to combat poverty. American workers, retirees, and families expect, and rely upon, the SSA to operate in compliance with relevant privacy and IT laws, regulations, and protocols, and most importantly, for their Government to act on behalf of their interests and to do its best to safeguard their sensitive, personal information.

We look forward to a prompt reply regarding our renewed request.

Sincerely,

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