South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem Seeks Answers After Federal Government Leaks Social Security Numbers Of Her Family

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) is looking for answers after the federal government leaked her social security number — and those of her family members — in the public release of records from the January 6 House committee.

Noem publicly shared the letter that her lawyers sent to federal agencies to demand a response over the publicly disclosed information in a Twitter post on Friday.

“My lawyers have asked the @WhiteHouse, the @USNatArchives, and @BennieGThompson which of them is responsible for leaking the Social Security Numbers of me, my husband, my 3 kids, and my son-in-law,” she tweeted. “What specific measures and remedies will be taken to protect our identities?”

My lawyers have asked the @WhiteHouse, the @USNatArchives, and @BennieGThompson which of them is responsible for leaking the Social Security Numbers of me, my husband, my 3 kids, and my son-in-law.

What specific measures and remedies will be taken to protect our identities? pic.twitter.com/HWBu5ukWPP

— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 6, 2023

Noem’s leaked social security numbers were posted alongside the private information of nearly 2,000 others in a file of high-profile visitors to the White House in December 2020.

“The National Archives produced these visitors logs, which then became exhibits during the January 6 Committee hearing. Prior to being published as exhibits, the law required that Protected Personal Information be redacted from the visitor logs, but that was not done,” the letter from Noem’s lawyers read.

The letter argued that the publication of the governor’s and of her family’s private information is a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974 and could lead to further legal action. The lawyers are requesting a response by January 13 from those involved.

The Daily Wire reported on Friday that after the committee’s last public meeting last month, it released a trove of official records, testimonies, transcripts, and other information that it collected as part of its investigation into the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. One of those documents was a spreadsheet containing nearly 2,000 Social Security numbers of White House guests in December 2020.

Among the Social Security numbers on the list, since removed from the files, was information associated with at least three Trump cabinet members, several Republican governors, and numerous officials and allies, according to The Washington Post. Some of the other leaders whose personal information was leaked included Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R), and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.

On November 30, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) wrote a letter to committee Chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) demanding that the January 6 committee preserve all records from its investigation.

“You have spent a year and a half and millions of taxpayers’ dollars conducting this investigation. It is imperative that all information be preserved not just for institutional prerogatives but for transparency to the American people,” McCarthy wrote. “The official Congressional Records do not belong to you or any member, but to the American people, and they are owed all the information you gathered – not merely the information that comports with your political agenda.”

Noem’s letter from her lawyers also came one day ahead of the inauguration of her second term as governor of South Dakota.

Colorado Agrees To Stop Busing Migrants To Chicago, New York City

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has agreed to stop busing migrants to New York City or Chicago following a letter from New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot demanding an end to the practice.

Polis agreed on Saturday to stop transporting them to those two locations.

“[T]he Governor had a very productive conversation with Mayor Adams and Mayor Lightfoot today where he shared that there are no more buses scheduled for migrants from Denver to Chicago at this time, and the final chartered transportation to New York City will be successfully completed tomorrow,” a statement from the Colorado governor’s office read.

“The state is partnering with the city of Denver and non-profits to continue assisting the city of Denver to continue to ensure this process is being conducted in a humane manner,” it added.

The change occurred after a letter from Adams and Lightfoot demanded that Polis end the state’s busing of migrants to their cities.

“It is apparent that the influx of asylum seekers has provoked consternation amongst states. Although we share the concerns of accommodating the flood of asylum seekers, overburdening other cities is not the solution. We respectfully demand that you cease and desist sending migrants to New York City and Chicago,” the letter to Polis read.

The letter also addressed media statements by Polis that downplayed his state’s role in transporting migrants.

“We have seen your statements in the media that you are simply accommodating the wishes of migrants to come to cities like New York City and Chicago,” the letter added.

“Both our cities are working tirelessly to ensure that migrants are able to reach their desired destinations where they are reunited with loved ones.  However, you are sending migrants and families to New York City and Chicago that do not have any ties, family members or community networks to welcome them, and at a time where both cities are at maximum capacity in shelter space and available services,” the mayors wrote.

Polis previously addressed a report by Adams to explain why Colorado was busing some migrants to New York City. His office claimed that about 70% of the migrants arriving in Denver did not have Colorado as their final destination.

“No one should play politics with the lives of migrants who came here to escape oppression, and in Colorado, we are honoring our values of treating people with dignity and respect. We are simply carrying out our values of treating every human being with dignity and respect,” the Democratic governor said in a statement on Tuesday.

Chicago has received 3,854 migrants from other states while New York City has received approximately 36,400 over the last nine months, according to the letter from the two governors.

Both Texas and Arizona have bused migrants to sanctuary cities over the past year to respond to the border crisis. Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest update stated that more than 16,000 migrants have been bused from his state, including over 4,900 migrants to New York City since August 5 and over 1,500 migrants to Chicago since August 31.

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