On Monday, Governor Kristi Noem issued a statement on the lack of response or action from the Biden Administration or Democrats in Congress regarding the leak of her Social Security number.
“More than 6 months later, Democrats in Washington have still not addressed how they will rectify the situation where they leaked my family’s personal information, including our Social Security numbers. Attorney General Garland has not responded to our request for an investigation into this unlawful action,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “DC bureaucrats callously mishandled sensitive information, all while accusing others of the same misstep.”
Because of this leak, Governor Noem and her family have experienced hardships where nefarious actors have used their personal information illegally.
The leak was a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974. Governor Noem was notified of the leak by the Washington Post, rather than by the agencies responsible for the unlawful leak. According to that media report, the leak was a result of a document dump as the former House January 6th Select Committee wrapped up its work.
The Government Publishing Office (GPO) was the entity that published the file containing the leaked Social Security numbers. They acknowledged the leak but did not take admit fault. Their remedy was merely to offer identify theft services. They appeared to shift the blame back to the January 6th Select Committee, which “directed GPO to publish the materials referenced in their report.”
No response has been received from the January 6th Select Committee.
The National Archives stated that the leak was not their fault.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, former Trump Administration Secretary Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, and former Trump Administration Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar also had their Social Security numbers leaked.
