Federal Records and Oversight

The National Archives’ inspector general has concluded that the improper release of New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s largely unredacted military records during last year’s governor’s race was caused by a single technician’s error, not by political interference or coordination with Republicans or Trump allies. According to the IG report, obtained by CBS News through a Freedom of Information Act request, the FOIA request from a Jack Ciattarelli ally was properly filed, but the technician failed to follow protocol that requires elevating requests involving members of Congress for higher‑level review. The release exposed Sherrill’s Social Security number, home addresses, life‑insurance details, performance evaluations and a classified‑information NDA, prompting a campaign‑season uproar and Democratic accusations of a politically driven leak. Investigators found “no evidence” of political motivation, and the technician told them the mistake likely stemmed from being distracted and not fully focused. Ciattarelli’s lawyer is now using the finding to renew demands that Sherrill fully disclose records related to a 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal, while Sherrill’s office declined immediate comment, underscoring how a bureaucratic lapse inside a federal agency can warp a high‑stakes state race and feed narratives of weaponized government even when the underlying error is negligence, not design.