Fox News reported late last week that the House Jan. 6 committee released Social Security numbers belonging to a number of high profile Republicans when it made a trove of documents public.
One of those figures is South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and she says that her family has been put at risk.
According to Fox News, Noem addressed the release of her Social Security number in a tweet this past 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.
What specific measures and remedies will be taken to protect our identities? pic.twitter.com/HWBu5ukWPP
— Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) January 6, 2023
Noem's tweet included a letter penned by her attorney James E. Moore, who works for the South Dakota law firm Woods and Fuller.
It was sent to the National Archives and Records Administration, the U.S. Government Publishing Office, the National Archives and Records Administration, as well as Mississippi Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, who chairs the January 6 Special Committee.
"Governor Noem, accompanied by her husband, her two daughters, and her son-in-law, visited the White House in her official capacity as Governor, where she and her family recorded their social security numbers on visitor logs," Moore wrote.
"The National Archives produced these visitors logs, which then became exhibits during the January 6 Committee hearing," he explained
"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 attorney continued.
Moore asserted that the governor's family is "now at a very high risk of identity theft and being personally compromised due to the failure to redact the social security numbers and making the same available to the public."
The attorney went to argue that publicly releasing social security numbers amounts to a violation of the Privacy Act of 1974.
What's more, Moore did not rule out the possibility of additional action and set a response deadline of January 13 for all parties involved.
Fox News pointed out that Noem is not the only high-profile Republican to have her Social Security number made public.
Others include Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.
