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The inspector general of the National Archives and Records Administration has launched an investigation into how military records containing private information about New Jersey’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill fell into the hands of her Republican opponent.
Last month, in the midst of a tense battle for the governor’s seat in New Jersey, Republican candidate Jack Ciatarelli obtained unredacted documents about Sherrill, which included her Social Security number, her parents’ address, life insurance information, and more.
Ciatarelli’s campaign had reportedly been looking into whether or not Sherrill was implicated in a 1994 cheating scandal at the Naval Academy. A campaign ally told CBS News that he submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for Sherrill’s military records, received 85 undredacted pages, and then handed them over the Ciatarelli’s campaign.
Officials in NARA told news outlets that the large file was released in “error” by a staffer and that they had contacted Sherrill’s office to apologize. A spokesperson for NARA echoed that statement to the New York Times, saying it was “a really egregious error” that can “unfortunately” happen.
Will Brown, the acting inspector general for the National Archives, confirmed to House Democrats that his office had initiated an internal probe into the matter.
When reached for comment, Brown told The Independent that the inspector general’s office does not confirm or deny any nonpublic investigative work.
Democrats on the House Oversight Committee and Sherrill have accused NARA, currently being overseen by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, of releasing the records in a politically motivated move to help the Republican candidate.
“This was intentional,” Sherrill told MSNBC on Tuesday.
The Ciattarelli ally who submitted the FOIA request for the documents has denied acting nefariously in obtaining them.
A lawyer working for Ciattarelli said in a letter that the campaign did not think the National Archives would have released any information that “should not have been provided.” He added that campaign aides were unaware they had such material that should not have been released until after it was shared with CBS. They’ve also threatened to bring a defamation suit against Sherrill.
The records given to Ciattarelli’s campaign ally did not speak to Sherrill’s role, if she had any, in the 1994 Naval Academy cheating scandal, CBS News reported.
Sherrill was not permitted to walk at graduation that same year, but she said it was because she was punished for refusing to “turn in” her classmates amid he scandal. She still graduated and was commissioned as a U.S. Navy officer, where she served with distinction for more than nine years, five of which were as a lieutenant.
Records obtained by the New York Times show that Sherill was commended in 1991 for saving a classmate’s life during a training exercise at the Naval Academy.
Sherrill’s campaign has used her unblemished military career as a centerpiece of her campaign. A new ad campaign by Sherrill’s campaign called the sharing of the records by Ciatterlli’s campaign “despicable.”
But in response to the scandal, Republicans have pressured Sherrill to release records that would confirm her claims about being denied the opportunity to walk at graduation.
“Release your disciplinary and investigatory records, @MikieSherrill. If you have nothing to hide, what are you afraid of?” Chris Russell, a campaign adviser for Ciattarelli, wrote on X.
The race between Sherrill and Ciatarelli is being closely watched as one of two gubernatorial races this year. It’s expected to indicate how voters are feeling just months into the Trump administration’s tumultuous second term.
Polling largely shows Sherrill leading Ciattarelli by a few points, but an Emerson poll, released last week, indicated the two candidates were in dead heat.
The Independent has asked the National Archives and Records Administration for comment.
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