Education Department Inspector General Opens Investigation into DOGE’s Access to Sensitive Institutional and Student Loan Borrower Data, Following Push By Warren, Senators

Education Department Inspector General Opens Investigation into DOGE's Access to Sensitive Institutional and Student Loan Borrower Data, Following Push By Warren, Senators

Text of Original Letter (PDF) | Text of IG Response

Washington, D.C. - Following a push by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and nine other senators, the Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education (ED) agreed to open an investigation into DOGE's infiltration of ED's internal systems, including the scope of its access to sensitive student loan borrower information and its impact on borrowers' rights and privacy.

"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 Acting Inspector General. "Therefore, the OIG plans to look into the Department's processes for managing access to several sensitive Department data systems."

"The American people deserve to know if Elon Musk's DOGE guys had access to private Social Security numbers and income information," said Senator Warren. "It's about time these amateurs in the Education Department were investigated."

Earlier this year, Senator Warren, Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, led 15 senators in opening an investigation into DOGE's dealings at ED.

In response, ED disclosed that DOGE supported a review of FSA's contracts, and to conduct this review, ED granted "one employee [] read-only access" to two of FSA's internal systems, which both hold sensitive personal information for people on Title IV loan and grant programs.

ED also disclosed that it had since "revoked" that employee's access to both of those systems. Alarmingly, ED did not indicate why the DOGE employee's access had been revoked, whether this employee has retained access to any other ED databases, and what actions the Department has done to ensure that student loan borrowers' sensitive information would not be released or misused.

In June, Senator Warren led a letter, joined by Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), pushing the Acting Inspector General of ED to conduct a review to determine whether ED adhered to the Privacy Act when it gave DOGE access to internal systems and 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," said Senator Wyden. "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."

"The Department of Education seemingly allowed DOGE employees unfettered access to Americans' personal data-leaving borrowers in the dark about who accessed their information and why," said Senator Blumenthal. "An OIG investigation will go a long way in delivering the transparency students and their families deserve and help us get to the bottom of whether sensitive information was put at risk."

"Trump and his unelected DOGE lackeys have been running roughshod over the Department of Education without any regard for the law, violating privacy protections, and cutting programs that are vital to children and families nationwide," said Senator Markey. "This investigation is an important step toward accountability."

"The Department of Education has a responsibility to protect student loan borrowers' sensitive data and ensure it doesn't get into the wrong hands. I'm thankful that the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General heeded our call and will now launch an investigation into DOGE's reckless takeover. "All Americans deserve clarity and accountability regarding the full extent of DOGE's role and influence at the Department of Education," said Senator Luján.

"It was clear from day one that Elon Musk's DOGE never should have had access to Americans' sensitive, private information, and I'm relieved that the Education Department's Inspector General is taking our concerns seriously and opening this investigation," said Senator Duckworth. "The American people deserve to know how this happened, what information was accessed and that accountability will be delivered so this never happens again."

Senator Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign in a coordinated effort to fight back against President Trump's attempts to abolish the Department of Education:

• On August 26, Senator Warren led Senators Chris Van Hollen, Jeff Merkley, Mazie Hirono, and Richard Blumenthal in sending a follow-up letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon condemning the Department of Education for deliberately hiding the "Submit a Complaint" button on the Office of Federal Student Aid's website, firing employees responsible for providing customer service to borrowers and families, and misleading Congress about the scope of these firings.

• On August 8, 2025, Senator Warren led eight Senators in pressing major private student loan lenders on their plans to serve the incoming surge of borrowers who will be pushed to the industry because of Republicans' recently passed "Big, Beautiful Bill."

• On August 7, 2025, Senator Warren publicly released Secretary of Education Linda McMahon's response to the senator's 60+ questions and pressed for additional information. Senator Warren announced that she would refer certain matters where the Department has proved uncooperative to the Government Accountability Office and the Education Department's Inspector General.

• On July 17, 2025, Senator Warren released a new 23-page report, "Education At Risk: Frontline Impacts of Trump's War on Students," highlighting warnings from 11 major national education and civil rights organizations on the impact of the Trump Administration's dismantling of the Department of Education (ED), slashing support to millions of American students, primary and secondary school teachers, administrators, parents, and student loan borrowers.

• On July 15, 2025, Senators Warren and Sanders, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, urging her to reverse the interest hike on student loan borrowers in the SAVE forbearance.

• On July 14, 2025, Senator Warren joined a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russ Vought, and Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, demanding that the Department of Education stop blocking nearly $7 billion in funds for K-12 schools, including for afterschool programs.

• On July 3, 2025, Senator Warren led her colleagues in submitting an amicus brief for NAACP v. US, arguing to the United States District Court District of Maryland that President Trump's attempts to dismantle the Department of Education violate separation of powers and lack constitutional authority.

• On June 10, 2025, Senator Warren met with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon and delivered over 1,000 letters from people in all 50 states who are worried about the Secretary's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education.

• On June 9, 2025, Senator Warren urged the Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education to start an investigation after new information obtained by her office found that DOGE might have accessed two of Federal Student Aid's internal systems, Financial Management System and Partner Connect, along with sensitive borrower information.

• On May 20, 2025, Senator Warren and 27 other senators pushed for full funding for the Office of Federal Student Aid.

• On May 14, 2025, Senator Warren led a Senate forum entitled "Stealing the American Dream: How Trump and Republicans Are Raising Education Costs for Families," highlighting the consequences of Secretary Linda McMahon's reckless dismantling of the Department of Education (ED) and President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" for working- and middle-class students and borrowers.

• On May 13, 2025, Senator Warren agreed to meet with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and promised to bring questions and stories from Americans across the country to highlight how the Trump administration's attacks on education are hurting American families.

• On May 6, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted the consequences of President Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon's reckless dismantling of the Department of Education for American families in a Senate forum.

• On April 24, 2025, Senator Warren launched a new investigation into the harms of President Trump's attacks on the Department of Education, seeking information on the impact of the Trump administration's actions from the members of twelve leading organizations representing schools, parents, teachers, students, borrowers, and researchers.

• On April 10, 2025, following a request led by Senator Warren, the Department of Education's Acting Inspector General agreed to open an investigation into the Trump administration's attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.

• On April 2, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mazie Hirono, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Department of Government Efficiency's proposed plan to replace the Department of Education's federal student aid call centers with generative artificial intelligence chatbots.

• On April 2, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign to fight back against the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) and highlight the consequences for every student and public school in America.

• On March 27, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a letter to Acting Department of Education Inspector General (IG) René Rocque requesting that the IG conduct an investigation of the Trump Administration's attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.

• On March 20, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders led a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Trump Administration's decision to slash the capacity of Federal Student Aid to handle student aid complaints.

• On February 24, 2025, in a response to Senator Warren, Secretary McMahon gave her first public admission that she "wholeheartedly" agreed with Trump's plans to abolish the Department of Education.

• On February 11, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim sent Linda McMahon, Secretary-Designate for the U.S. Department of Education, a 12-page letter with 65 questions on McMahon's policy views in advance of her nomination hearing.

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