Democrats, advocates probe DOGE coordination with election deniers as outrage grows

Democratic lawmakers and pro-democracy advocates are intensifying scrutiny of the coordination between the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and an advocacy group looking to overturn election results, disclosed in a recent Trump administration court filing.

House Democrats launched legislative efforts and outside watchdogs filed public records requests Wednesday and Thursday aimed at uncovering the full scope of DOGE’s activities, as pressure mounts on federal officials to explain how deeply the agency engaged with election deniers — and whether sensitive voter data was put at risk.

Democracy Docket reported Wednesday that during the period in question, True the Vote, a far-right group that played a key role in promoting the lie that the 2020 election was stolen, was publicly calling on DOGE to analyze voter data the group had collected. 

Representatives for True the Vote have not responded to requests for comment. 

Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.), the ranking member of the House Social Security Subcommittee, along with Reps. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and Gabe Amo (D-RI) proposed amendments that would have reduce Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano’s salary to $1 unless records related to the data-sharing scheme were turned over to Congress.

“For nearly a year, my Democratic colleagues and I have been calling for action to protect Americans’ privacy from Elon Musk’s ‘DOGE’ minions,” Larson said. “Yesterday, we found out from a court filing that ‘DOGE’ staffers traded confidential data on a private server and even schemed to hand over Social Security numbers to a MAGA group trying to undermine elections.”

Larson said the amendments were designed to force transparency and accountability at the top of the agency. But when the proposals were presented to the House Rules Committee, every Republican member voted to block them from advancing to the House floor.

The Democrats also framed the DOGE disclosure as evidence of potential criminal misconduct, calling for investigations and prosecutions tied to the handling of Social Security data and its alleged use in election-related schemes.

In a joint statement, Larson and Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, said DOGE members involved in the data sharing effort “must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

“The ‘DOGE’ appointees engaged in this scheme — who were never brought before Congress for approval or even publicly identified — must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law for these abhorrent violations of the public trust,” Larson and Neal said.

Lawmakers described the episode as part of what they say amounts to the largest data breach in U.S. history, citing the use of an unapproved private cloud server to transmit sensitive personal information on roughly 1,000 citizens outside approved channels.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has said they are referring DOGE staff involved in the matter to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel for potential violations of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in partisan political activity while carrying out their official duties.

Outside watchdogs are also stepping up pressure. 

The legal group Democracy Forward* filed new Freedom of Information Act requests Thursday seeking records related to DOGE’s access to Social Security data and its specific coordination with outside election deniers.

The requests demand copies of the “Voter Data Agreement” signed by a DOGE employee, the Hatch Act referrals sent by SSA to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel and communications between SSA DOGE staff and True the Vote, the “political advocacy group” with a history of seeking to overturn election results. 

“The revelations of misconduct by the Trump-Vance administration — and suggestions that our sensitive taxpayer data has been shared by DOGE to unknown outside unaccountable organizations — should concern every single American,” Skye Perryman, the organization’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “We need to know exactly how far this unlawful assault on our privacy and fair elections goes, so we can be sure that not only is any criminality addressed, but that the upcoming federal elections are protected from unlawful manipulation.”

Democracy Forward said the requests are aimed at forcing transparency after the Justice Department admitted to inaccuracies in earlier court filings about DOGE’s activities, disclosures that have amplified concerns about voter privacy and the political weaponization of federal data.

The disclosures have also drawn concern from groups focused on protecting seniors and social security beneficiaries, underscoring that the fallout from DOGE’s actions extends beyond partisanship.

“SSA is entrusted with the sensitive data of hundreds of millions of Americans, and protecting that data from illegal use must be a top priority,” Nancy LeaMond, AARP Chief Advocacy and Engagement Officer, said following the revelation. “Anyone involved must be held accountable, and the Social Security Administration must take immediate steps to ensure nothing like this can happen again.”

Advocacy group Social Security Works echoed those concerns, warning the recent disclosure may represent only a fraction of what has yet to come.

“This week’s revelations are just the tip of the iceberg,” Alex Lawson, Executive Director of the group, said. “We need to know exactly who has our data and what they are doing with it. And those who have committed illegal acts must be prosecuted.”

True the Vote has continued to post regularly on its website and social media channels, promoting its election-related work and public campaigns.

In a newsletter to supporters sent Tuesday, Engelbrecht announced the launch of a new affiliated organization, True the Vote NOW, which she said would allow the group “to move faster, speak more directly, and press harder for accountability and real reform.” 

Engelbrecht also wrote that she was in Washington, D.C. this week “meeting with allies,” as her organization ramps up efforts ahead of the 2026 elections.

SSA maintains it has not found evidence that Social Security data was ultimately shared with the political group.

With calls for congressional oversight and criminal investigation, additional disclosures may soon shed light on how far the coordination went and whether other agencies were involved.

At the same time, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit is still weighing whether to reinstate limits on DOGE’s access to Social Security systems — a decision that could shape how much authority the agency wields over sensitive voter data ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.