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…