Trenton, NJ – A paper trail of letters and emails shows Jack Ciattarelli’s gubernatorial campaign did not act improperly in connection with the release of Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s military records, as the National Archives has admitted it mistakenly disclosed the files after a routine request.
The controversy began after private citizen Anthony DeGregorio submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in 2025** seeking “all publicly releasable information from the Official Military Personnel File (OMPF)” of Sherrill, a Navy veteran and congresswoman. In his request, DeGregorio noted that he sought only materials “lawfully provided” and that sensitive data could be redacted.
** CORRECTION ** Date in legal filings is published as July 2025. We researched this to find the date was indeed in 2024 and have corrected **
On July 3, 2025**, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) responded by releasing roughly 85 pages. But according to a subsequent letter, NARA later admitted it made a “serious error” by releasing more than permitted under law.
“The technician that responded to your request should have released only information that is releasable under the Freedom of Information Act. Unfortunately, however, the responding technician released to you the comprehensive record,” wrote Scott A. Levins, Director of the National Personnel Records Center. “I apologize for our mistake and ask that you please do NOT further disseminate the record that was sent to you in error.”
The Ciattarelli campaign, in a formal response to Sherrill’s attorneys dated Sept. 26, said it had no role in the FOIA request and only reviewed documents that were provided by a government agency.
“The campaign did not request that Mr. DeGregorio submit a FOIA, he did so on his own,” the letter states.
It adds that the documents “contain no information about Representative Sherrill’s involvement in the cheating scandal at the United States Naval Academy.”
Campaign strategist Chris Russell said once a reporter alerted the campaign that some materials may have been improperly disclosed, the campaign immediately directed staff not to share them further. “Those individuals in possession of the materials were advised not to disseminate it and did not disseminate it anywhere since that time,” the letter explains.
The campaign also pushed back against demands to destroy the files, citing litigation preservation rules: “We will not destroy the documents you are asking us to destroy as they are all exculpatory in nature. Instead, CFG and Russell will preserve and protect this information as per your litigation-hold demand.”
Prior to the FOIA release, Ciattarelli’s team had attempted to locate Naval Academy records related to the 1992 electrical engineering cheating scandal, which are cataloged at the academy’s Nimitz Library. But those records were off-limits without Sherrill’s approval. “CFG was advised that the records would not be produced, nor would the campaign be granted access to review absent sign-off from Representative Sherrill or her husband,” the campaign letter notes.
The documents now suggest NARA’s error, not the Ciattarelli campaign’s conduct, was at the center of the disclosure.
Key Points
- FOIA requester Anthony DeGregorio sought only “publicly releasable information” on Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s military record.
- NARA admitted a “serious error” and said its technician mistakenly released Sherrill’s full file instead of limited documents.
- Ciattarelli’s campaign said it did not request the FOIA, did not disseminate the records, and will preserve them as legally required.
The evidence shifts the spotlight away from Ciattarelli’s team and onto a federal records office misstep.