In a significant breach of privacy, the Social Security numbers of over 400 former congressional staffers and others were inadvertently released in files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The White House acknowledged this serious lapse on Thursday and is actively working to mitigate the potential harm caused by this exposure. According to a White House official, who requested anonymity to discuss the plan, the National Archives and Records Administration will thoroughly scrub the files for any Social Security numbers, while the Social Security Administration (SSA) will issue new numbers to those affected.
The Washington Post, during its review of 60,000 pages released this week by the Trump administration, discovered unredacted Social Security numbers in more than 3,500 instances, as many individuals' numbers were published multiple times. A subsequent release late Thursday increased the total to over 77,000 pages across approximately 2,340 documents.
This extensive release included the Social Security numbers, birthplaces, and birth dates of more than 100 staff members from the Senate Church Committee, which was established in 1975 to investigate abuses by U.S. intelligence agencies and the government. The Post also identified over 100 Social Security numbers of staff members from the House Select Committee on Assassinations, which was tasked with investigating Kennedy's assassination. Alarmingly, at least one individual, a noted author and former law professor, had his number disclosed more than two dozen times.
In response to this breach, the National Archives has begun searching through the documents to identify the individuals affected, so that the SSA can issue new Social Security numbers. The National Archives will also provide credit monitoring services to those impacted until they receive their new numbers, the White House official stated.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized President Trump's commitment to transparency, stating, “President Trump delivered on his promise of maximum transparency by fully releasing the files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.” She mentioned that the National Archives and SSA quickly formulated an action plan to assist individuals whose personal information was disclosed.
Despite the White House's swift response, skepticism remains among the victims of this breach. Mark Gitenstein, who recently served as U.S. ambassador to the European Union, expressed his concerns after learning of the disclosure from a Post reporter. “At least it sounds like they know they screwed up, but giving us new Social Security numbers? I don’t know about that,” he stated. Gitenstein, who has held various high-ranking positions in Washington, criticized the carelessness of the administration regarding sensitive information.
Gitenstein also voiced worries about the challenges of changing his Social Security number amid ongoing cutbacks at the SSA, which could lead to delays in processing. “We could get stuck waiting forever in limbo,” he added.
Legal experts have raised significant questions regarding the release of personal information under the Privacy Act of 1974. Joseph diGenova, a former campaign lawyer for Trump, suggested that immediate accountability measures should be taken. “The immediate remedy is to fire all the people involved in vetting this material. Their attitude was cavalier. They should be fired, plain and simple,” he asserted, highlighting the seriousness of the breach.
DiGenova also noted that he was in the process of hiring a law firm to explore legal action against the National Archives. “I charge $1,000 an hour. Does the government want to pay me that to correct all my financial records?” he questioned.
When Trump announced the release of the assassination-related files, he instructed staff not to redact any information. “I don’t believe we’re going to redact anything,” he told reporters, leading to a hurried review of the documents by the Justice Department to meet the deadline.
Mark Zaid, a national security attorney who advocated for the public release of JFK records, praised the White House's measures to address the fallout from the exposed Social Security numbers. However, he reiterated that such an incident should never have occurred. “Officials at the National Archives have been protecting this information for decades,” he stated, criticizing the decision to release documents that could fuel unfounded conspiracy theories.
The Mary Ferrell Foundation, the largest online archive of JFK assassination documents, also condemned the exposure of personal information. Jefferson Morley, vice president of the foundation, called the breach “indefensible and reckless,” emphasizing the need for greater care in handling sensitive information related to JFK's assassination.
As the situation unfolds, affected individuals and experts continue to call for accountability and enhanced safeguards to prevent such breaches in the future.
