The Social Security Administration’s chief data officer, Charles Borges, has quit in what he terms an “involuntary resignation” after filing a whistleblower complaint alleging that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) put Americans’ most sensitive information at risk.
“This involuntary resignation is the result of SSA’s actions against me, which make my duties impossible to perform legally and ethically, [and] have caused me serious attendant mental, physical, and emotional distress,” Borges wrote in his resignation letter, which was sent internally to SSA staff.
“Due to my concerns regarding SSA’s questionable and potentially unlawful data management practices, and the inability to exercise my statutory duties as CDO, I believe my position is untenable,” he continued.
Borges claims that DOGE staffers recklessly copied the SSA’s entire “Numident” database—which contained such personal information as individuals’ names, birth dates, addresses, parentage, and Social Security numbers—onto a vulnerable cloud server. The move potentially exposed hundreds of millions of Americans to identity theft and violates multiple federal statutes.
Adding to the controversy, Borges described the SSA as a toxic work environment with a retaliatory culture and a leadership team unwilling to act on his security concerns. Within half an hour of sending his resignation letter to staff, it reportedly vanished from recipients’ inboxes, raising questions of censorship.
DOGE’s actions come amid ongoing criticism of the Trump administration’s data handling. In March, a federal judge blocked the then Elon Musk-headed department from accessing Social Security data but the Supreme Court reversed the ruling.
While there is no evidence that any data breach occurred, Borges says the risks are serious. In his complaint, he warns of a nationwide fallout, with millions of Americans potentially facing “widespread identity theft,” while others “may lose vital healthcare and food benefits.“
The SSA has previously told the Daily Beast that they are “not aware” of any privacy breach and “remain dedicated to protecting sensitive personal data.”
Borges is now working with the Government Accountability Project as he continues to cooperate with oversight bodies investigating the issue.
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