**Summary of "Exclusive: Whistleblower Alleges DOGE May Have Taken Sensitive Labor Data"
The NPR Politics Podcast
Release Date: April 16, 2025
Host: Ashley Lopez, Stephen Fowler, Jenna McLaughlin

Introduction

In the April 16, 2025 episode of The NPR Politics Podcast, hosts Ashley Lopez, Stephen Fowler, and Jenna McLaughlin delve into a startling exclusive report involving allegations against an entity known as DOGE. A whistleblower claims that DOGE improperly accessed sensitive data from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and subsequently attempted to cover up these actions. This comprehensive summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in the episode.

Background: Understanding the National Labor Relations Board

The episode begins with Jenna McLaughlin explaining the significance of the NLRB:

“It is a really small independent federal agency, but it's very important for protecting workers' rights. So it investigates and adjudicates complaints about unfair labor practices. It helps make sure employees can form unions, that sort of thing.”
– Jenna McLaughlin [01:32]

The NLRB plays a crucial role in safeguarding labor rights, making any unauthorized access to its data particularly concerning.

The Whistleblower: Dan Barulis' Allegations

Ashley Lopez introduces the central figure of the story, whistleblower Dan Barulis:

“His name is Dan Barulis. He works in the IT department for the nlrb and he watches over their cloud system. He essentially alleges that after DOGE arrived, they demanded the God tier access to the system. Essentially said, stay out of our way, don't log anything that we're doing.”
– Jenna McLaughlin [01:53]

Barulis alleges that DOGE obtained “God tier” access—granting them unrestricted control over the NLRB's cloud systems. He noticed unusual activities, including a substantial data spike and the disabling of security tools:

“There was a big spike in data leaving the agency about 10 gigabytes, which is like a giant stack of encyclopedias because all of them are text files. He saw a bunch of security tools turned off. He saw records deleted.”
– Jenna McLaughlin [02:25]

DOGE’s Mandate and Motivations

Stephen Fowler provides context on DOGE's official mandate:

“As you probably know, the DOGE effort has been given this mandate from President Trump to find examples of waste, fraud and abuse, mainly with government spending.”
– Stephen Fowler [03:23]

However, the activities within the NLRB appear divergent from DOGE’s stated objectives, focusing instead on internal labor matters rather than government expenditure. Jenna furthers this point:

"This internal case management system...only has the sensitive information, so it's hard to get your head around the idea that they might have thought it was something else.”
– Jenna McLaughlin [04:25]

Implications and Broader Concerns

Stephen Fowler expands on the broader implications of DOGE’s access:

“There are more than a dozen federal court cases... concerns over access to Social Security Administration data... access to personnel files at the Office of Personnel Management... DOGE people being given carte blanche to do that in real time. So this is... the most visible example of that.”
– Stephen Fowler [09:06]

The episode highlights the potential risks of such extensive data access, echoing concerns reminiscent of the Privacy Act of 1974.

Attempts to Cover Up and Subsequent Actions

Jenna discusses the alleged cover-up efforts by DOGE:

“They did do a pretty good job at getting rid of information that would really link them to this removal of data.”
– Jenna McLaughlin [07:27]

Despite these efforts, Barulis managed to uncover evidence, prompting investigations. Following the reporting:

“After Dan raised some of his concerns internally, he received a letter that was taped to his door...included pictures of him walking his dog from overhead. His lawyer said that it appears to be from a drone.”
– Jenna McLaughlin [11:26]

This intimidation tactic underscores the hostile environment for whistleblowers.

Political and Legal Repercussions

The episode details the political fallout, including actions from Congress:

“The ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, Gerry Connolly of Virginia, sent a letter to the inspectors general... asking about Doge's access and if anything was deleted.”
– Stephen Fowler [12:04]

Additionally, the discovery of suspicious code on GitHub related to the NLRB's case management system has raised red flags:

“We know what that means. And so there are congressional questions. There are these ongoing court cases. So this is the tip of this particular iceberg.”
– Stephen Fowler [12:58]

Whistleblower’s Hopes and Future Investigations

In an exclusive interview, Barulis expressed his aspirations for the outcome of these revelations:

“His hope is that it inspires other people to speak up, that it gets congressional investigators involved, that it gets agencies with more investigative resources involved... He just wants this to be fully investigated, and he wants the systems to be secure.”
– Jenna McLaughlin [13:02]

Conclusion: A Call for Accountability

The episode concludes by emphasizing the need for thorough investigations into DOGE’s actions and the protection of sensitive government data. The hosts underscore the importance of Barulis’ courage in coming forward and the broader implications for government transparency and cybersecurity.

Key Takeaways

• Swath of Sensitive Data at Risk: DOGE’s unauthorized access to the NLRB’s case management system poses significant threats to labor rights and sensitive information.

• Potential Misalignment with Mandate: DOGE's actions within the NLRB appear to diverge from its official mandate of combating waste, fraud, and abuse in government spending.

• Intimidation of Whistleblowers: The harassment of Dan Barulis highlights the dangers faced by individuals exposing governmental malfeasance.

• Wider Implications for Government Data Security: Multiple federal agencies face similar unauthorized access concerns, indicating systemic vulnerabilities.

• Political Response and Ongoing Investigations: Congressional inquiries and court cases are underway to address and rectify DOGE’s overreach and data mishandling.

Notable Quotes

• Jenna McLaughlin [01:32]: “It is a really small independent federal agency, but it's very important for protecting workers' rights.”

• Jenna McLaughlin [02:25]: “He saw a bunch of security tools turned off. He saw records deleted. Just a lot of stuff that really got his spidey senses tingling after 20 or some odd years in it.”

• Stephen Fowler [03:23]: “DOGE effort has been given this mandate from President Trump to find examples of waste, fraud and abuse, mainly with government spending.”

• Stephen Fowler [09:06]: “DOGE people being given carte blanche to do that in real time. So this is... the most visible example of that.”

• Jenna McLaughlin [11:26]: “It appears to be from a drone. So that was terrifying.”

• Jenna McLaughlin [13:02]: “He just wants this to be fully investigated, and he wants the systems to be secure.”

This episode of The NPR Politics Podcast sheds light on critical issues surrounding government data security, the potential overreach of entities like DOGE, and the imperative to protect and empower whistleblowers. The detailed reporting by NPR underscores the necessity for accountability and robust investigative measures to safeguard public institutions.