Following Push by Wyden and Merkley, Watchdog Agency Opens Investigation into DOGE Accessing Sensitive Data on Student Loan Borrowers

Following Push by Wyden and Merkley, Watchdog Agency Opens Investigation into DOGE Accessing Sensitive Data on Student Loan Borrowers

Washington, D.C. - Following a push by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, a watchdog agency has agreed to open an investigation into DOGE accessing sensitive data on student loan borrowers by infiltrating the Department of Education's internal systems.

"Given the sensitive nature of the data [ED] holds, it is crucial that the Department ensures appropriate access to its data systems and maintains effective access controls for system security and privacy protection purposes," wrote the Department of Education Acting Inspector General René L. Rocque in response to the senators' request. "Therefore, the OIG plans to look into the Department's processes for managing access to several sensitive Department data systems."

Earlier this year, the senators urged the Acting Inspector General to review whether the Department of Education adhered to the Privacy Act while granting DOGE access to its internal systems. Additionally, the senators called on the Acting Inspector General to review whether the Department had undermined its own mission to "protect student privacy."

"Americans are still grappling with the fallout of DOGE's authoritarian takeover of our federal government earlier this year," Wyden said. "I'm pleased that at our urging there will be an investigation into DOGE's corruption at the Department of Education, and what role it played in the dismantling and defunding of critical education programs that millions of kids and families rely on."

"Trump and DOGE minions have no business riffling through your personal data," Merkley said. "The Department of Education heeded our call to investigate, and we must know the full scope of what information Trump's DOGE minions had access to and how it impacted Department of Education programs."

This letter was led by U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

The text of the letter is here.

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