John Solly, a software engineer and former member of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is a DOGE employee reportedly accused in a whistleblower complaint of telling co-workers that he stored sensitive Social Security Administration (SSA) data in a thumb drive and wanted to share that information with his new employer, multiple sources tell WIRED.
Since October, according to a copy of his resume, Solly has worked as the chief technology officer in the health IT division of a government contractor called Leidos, which has already received millions in SSA contracts and can receive up to 1.5 billion dollars in contract with the SSA based on a five-year contract it signed in 2023. Solly’s personal website and LinkedIn have been taken offline as of this week.
Responding to a request for comment, Solly through his lawyer denied involvement in any wrongdoing. A Leidos spokesperson also said the company had found no evidence to support the whistleblower’s allegations against Solly.
Solly was one of the 12 DOGE team members at SSAwhere, according to a profile on his personal website, he supported “other DOGE engineers on initiatives including Digital SSN, Death Master File Cleanup,” and “SSN verification API (EDEN 2.0).” The “death master file” is an SSA database that contains millions of Social Security records of deceased individuals and is maintained so that their identities cannot be used fraudulently. An API, or programming interface, allows different programs to talk, including pulling data and information from each other. In this case, it may allow Social Security data to be accessed by organizations and institutions outside of SSA.
The allegations were revealed in a complaint filed with SSA’s internal watchdog that was first reported earlier this week by Washington Postwhich did not mention Solly or Leidos. According to the Post, the complaint was filed with the SSA’s Office of Inspector General earlier this year and alleges that the former DOGE employee told co-workers that he took copies of the SSA’s Numerical Identification System, or NUMIDENT, along with the “death master file.” NUMIDENT is SSA’s master database containing all information included in a Social Security number application, including full names, dates of birth, race and other personally identifiable information.
In the complaint, according to the Post, the whistleblower alleges that the former DOGE employee sought help transferring the data set from the thumb drive to a personal computer so he could “clean it up” before uploading it for use at a private sector company. The former DOGE employee allegedly said that he expected to receive a presidential pardon if his actions were illegal, the complaint reported.
Solly “did not share, access, or view any personally identifiable information (PII) maintained by SSA, including SSA’s Master Death File (DMF) and Numident System (Numident). The claims made by the alleged anonymous source are false and defamatory. Mr. Solly will take all reasonable steps to clear his good name,” says the Sellarth Reference. “He is confident that any fair review of the facts and circumstances surrounding these false allegations will exonerate him.”
Leidos is a prime contractor for SSA. Between 2010 and 2018, the company brought millions of dollars in SSA IT contracts. In 2018, Leidos was given contracts which could be worth up to $639 million for IT support services and disability claims processing. In 2023, the company announced that it had been awarded the prestigious award A $1.5 billion IT contract with the agency. As part of DOGE’s interest in the US government in early 2025, Leidos, as many government contractors, saw some of its contracts cut.
