NARA launches IG probe after unredacted Mikie Sherrill military file erroneously released amid NJ governor race

🔍 Key Facts

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), part of the National Archives (NARA), mistakenly released a mostly unredacted military personnel file for Rep. Mikie Sherrill in response to a June 30 FOIA request submitted by Nicholas De Gregorio, identified as an ally of Jack Ciattarelli and a former New Jersey Republican candidate.
The released records contained highly sensitive personal data — including Sherrill’s Social Security number on nearly every page, addresses for her and her parents, life insurance information, performance evaluations, and a nondisclosure agreement — information NARA says should not have been released.
NARA says it became aware of the erroneous release on Sept. 22, 2025, sent an apology letter from the NPRC, alerted the agency Inspector General, contacted Sherrill’s congressional office to apologize, and said a technician did not follow standard operating procedures when producing the records.
Acting Inspector General Will Brown has been named as launching an investigation into the release.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill defended her Navy service in a new statement, saying she graduated and was commissioned despite not walking in the 1994 Naval Academy commencement; reporting attributes her absence from the ceremony to punishment tied to a 1994 exam cheating scandal but confirms she received her degree and commission.
Campaign reactions have been sharply partisan: a Ciattarelli campaign spokesperson accused Sherrill of hiding disciplinary records, while Sherrill condemned the disclosure and framed it as an attack on veterans.
The NPRC/NARA release and subsequent reporting name Nicholas De Gregorio as the FOIA requester and confirm NARA’s statement that the entire record, including private data, should not have been released.
The Navy and the U.S. Naval Academy declined to provide further comment to reporters about the matter.

💬 Social Media Perspectives

On X, users frequently discuss allegations that Mikie Sherrill inflated her Navy rank in campaign materials, a point not addressed in mainstream reports which focus only on the 1994 cheating scandal and her graduation status.
Social media perspectives highlight claims that Sherrill left the Navy to avoid deployment during the Iraq War, portraying her as avoiding combat, which adds a layer of scrutiny to her service record absent from traditional news coverage.
X posts often connect the file release to broader criticisms of Sherrill's financial dealings, such as failing to disclose stock sales in violation of federal law, framing her as ethically questionable beyond just military matters.
Users on X express concerns that the erroneous release exemplifies vulnerabilities in protecting veterans' personal information, emphasizing risks to all former service members, a broader privacy context not deeply explored in mainstream articles.
Perspectives on X include defenses of Sherrill's service, noting her nearly ten years in the Navy and high distinction, while accusing opponents of politicizing military records to smear her campaign, providing a counter-narrative to the GOP attacks featured in some news pieces.

Based on 3 sources

📰 Sources (3)

Ciattarelli campaign rips 'lying' Dem opponent amid new National Archives investigation

Fox News October 01, 2025

New information:

Acting Inspector General Will Brown has been named as launching an investigation into the release.
NARA says it became aware of the erroneous release on Sept. 22, 2025 and that the responding technician mistakenly released the full record in response to a June 30 FOIA request.
The Fox News piece includes campaign quotes: Ciattarelli campaign spokesperson Chris Russell accused Sherrill of hiding disciplinary records; Sherrill condemned the disclosure and framed it as an attack on veterans.
The article names Nicholas De Gregorio as the requester who submitted a FOIA request about Sherrill and reports NARA’s statement that the entire record (including private data such as a Social Security number) should not have been released.

Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey pushes back after GOP questions her service record

ABC News September 26, 2025

New information:

Rep. Mikie Sherrill explicitly defended her Navy service in a new statement, saying she graduated and was commissioned despite not walking in the 1994 Naval Academy commencement: “I didn’t turn in some of my classmates, so I didn’t walk, but graduated and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy, serving for nearly ten years with the highest level of distinction and honor.”
Reporting (New Jersey Globe) that Sherrill did not participate in the 1994 commencement ceremony — described as punishment tied to a 1994 exam cheating scandal — while confirming she nonetheless received her degree and commission
Confirmation that the National Personnel Records Center sent a Sept. 22, 2025 letter apologizing for releasing Sherrill’s military file to an unauthorized requester (identified in the article as a former Republican candidate in New Jersey), and that the Navy and Naval Academy declined further comment

Archives released too much of Sherrill's military record to her political opponent

https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/ September 25, 2025

New information:

The NPRC/NARA branch released a mostly unredacted military file for Rep. Mikie Sherrill to Nicholas De Gregorio, an ally of Jack Ciattarelli.
Documents included Sherrill's Social Security number on almost every page, addresses for her and her parents, life insurance information, performance evaluations, and an NDA.
NARA acknowledged the error, quoted Grace McCaffrey saying a technician did not follow standard operating procedures, alerted the agency inspector general, and contacted Sherrill's congressional office to apologize.