Charles Borges, the chief data officer at the Social Security Administration (SSA), has announced his resignation, citing retaliation following his whistleblower complaint regarding the mishandling of sensitive information by officials at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Borges alleged that the data of over 300 million Americans was compromised when DOGE officials uploaded sensitive information to an unregulated cloud account.
In a resignation letter addressed to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Borges claimed that since filing his complaint, he has faced actions that have made it “impossible to perform legally and ethically.” He described experiencing “physical, mental, and emotional distress” as a result of the agency’s response to his whistleblowing.
Borges elaborated on his experiences, stating, “After reporting serious data security and integrity concerns that could impact our citizens’ most sensitive personal information, I have endured exclusion, isolation, and a hostile work environment, creating intolerable working conditions.” His whistleblower disclosure, which outlines these serious concerns, was submitted to the special counsel’s office on Tuesday.
The Government Accountability Project, which is supporting Borges in his whistleblower case, published his resignation letter on its website on Friday evening. Borges did not provide further comments at this time. His complaint highlighted that the sensitive information at risk includes health diagnoses, income, banking information, familial relationships, and personal biographical details.
Borges has held the position of chief data officer at the SSA since January. The agency has not commented on his resignation or the allegations outlined in his letter.
Earlier this year, labor and retiree organizations filed a lawsuit against the SSA for permitting DOGE access to Americans’ sensitive data. However, a divided appeals panel recently ruled that DOGE could continue to access this information. The DOGE, under the Trump administration, has faced criticism for obtaining extensive access to personal data across government agencies, allegedly in an effort to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.
