Whistleblower Resigns After Alleging DOGE Mishandled Data of 300 Million Americans

A senior Social Security official who blew the whistle on alleged data mishandling by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has announced his resignation, citing a “hostile work environment” following his disclosure.

Charles Borges, the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) chief data officer, claimed DOGE officials exposed sensitive personal information of over 300 million Americans by uploading Social Security data to an unmonitored cloud platform. His allegations were formally submitted to the Office of Special Counsel earlier this week.

In a resignation letter to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Borges said he faced retaliation after raising the alarm internally and externally. He described conditions as “impossible to perform legally and ethically,” adding that the situation caused him “physical, mental and emotional distress.”

“After reporting serious data security and integrity concerns impacting our citizens’ most sensitive personal data, I have suffered exclusion, isolation, and internal strife, creating a culture of fear,” Borges wrote.

The Government Accountability Project, representing Borges, posted his resignation letter on Friday. Andrea Meza, his attorney, said Borges could no longer work at SSA “in good conscience” but would continue cooperating with oversight authorities.

Borges’ whistleblower complaint warned that the compromised information includes health records, income details, banking data, family relationships, and personal identifiers.

“If bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans could face mass identity theft, loss of vital benefits, and the government might be forced to reissue Social Security numbers nationwide,” the complaint stated.

The SSA has not commented on Borges’ resignation or his allegations.

The controversy comes as President Donald Trump’s DOGE faces increasing scrutiny for its broad access to personal data under its mandate to eliminate waste and fraud. Earlier this year, labor and retiree groups sued SSA for allowing DOGE to handle sensitive records, but an appeals court recently ruled in favor of DOGE’s access.