DOJ Filings Reveal Hatch Act Probes for DOGE Employees

Court filings from the U.S. Department of Justice have revealed that two employees affiliated with the Department of Government Efficiency accessed sensitive Social Security Administration data in ways that prompted referrals for potential violations of the Hatch Act, a federal law restricting political activities by government workers.

The disclosures emerged in documents filed last week in the U.S. District Court for Maryland, as part of ongoing litigation over the Department of Government Efficiency's access to Social Security Administration systems. The department, established by the Trump administration in early 2025 with input from Elon Musk, aimed to identify inefficiencies and reduce waste across federal agencies. As part of that effort, its staff received limited access to certain Social Security Administration databases to review benefits processes and internal operations.

According to the filings, signed by Elizabeth Shapiro, a deputy director in the Justice Department's Civil Division, the two unidentified employees engaged in communications with an unnamed political advocacy group in March 2025. The group sought assistance in analyzing state voter rolls it had...