Charles Borges, chief data officer at the Social Security Administration (SSA), resigned on Friday, shortly after filing a whistleblower complaint concerning the handling of sensitive Social Security information by employees of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

In his complaint, Borges alleged that DOGE staff had uploaded a copy of the nation’s Social Security data to what he described as a “vulnerable cloud environment.” The Government Accountability Project, which represents Borges legally, confirmed his resignation.

An SSA spokesperson disputed the claims, stating that the data in question was stored in a secure environment separated from the internet and that the agency was “not aware of any compromise to this environment.”

In June, the Supreme Court temporarily lifted a lower court injunction, allowing DOGE to access certain Social Security data. The injunction had been requested by two labor unions and an advocacy group, who argued that providing access could violate the Privacy Act and federal law. A lower court initially agreed with the plaintiffs, and an appellate court declined to lift the injunction before the Supreme Court’s temporary decision. The government contended that restricting access hindered federal employees tasked with modernizing government systems from performing their duties.

In his resignation letter to SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano, Borges described his departure as a “constructive discharge,” citing actions by the agency that he said made it impossible to perform his duties “legally and ethically.” He wrote that he experienced retaliation after reporting concerns internally, including exclusion, isolation, and a “culture of fear” in the workplace.

Borges also alleged that recent changes in leadership within SSA’s IT and executive offices had contributed to a “culture of panic and dread,” with limited information sharing and frequent discussions about employee terminations. He said requests for transparency regarding certain activities were repeatedly “rebuffed or ignored.”

Andrea Meza, an attorney with the Government Accountability Project representing Borges, stated that he “no longer felt that he could continue to work for the Social Security Administration in good conscience” but that he would continue cooperating with oversight bodies.

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Borges joined the SSA as chief data officer in January. Before this role, he worked at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and served as a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow during the Biden administration. He also held data-related positions with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division and the Naval Air Systems Command.

On LinkedIn Friday, Borges wrote: “It is never wrong to be morally and ethically right with yourself.”

An SSA spokesperson declined to comment on personnel matters.