South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem blames Jan. 6 panel for phone getting hacked

Republican South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem blasted the House Jan. 6 committee’s handling of her personal information on Monday and blamed the panel for the alleged hacking of her personal phone number. 

The governor of the Mount Rushmore State claims that following the leak of her Social Security number last year by the House committee investigating the 2021 riot at the Capitol Building, her cell phone number has been used by hackers to make hoax calls.

“Callous mishandling of personal information has real world consequences,” Noem wrote in a press release Monday. “If you get such a phone call from my number, know that I had no involvement.” 

The popular South Dakota governor, and possible 2024 presidential candidate, added that she has implored Attorney General Merrick Garland and Congress to investigate the massive leak, which also revealed the Social Security numbers of several family members. 

“I have urged both the United States Attorney General and multiple congressional committees to investigate the leaking of my family’s personal information, and I look forward to whatever resolution they can provide,” Noem stated. 

The governor’s office added that the South Dakota Fusion Center, a state agency that investigates criminal activity, has been notified of this breach.

The House Jan. 6 panel released a spreadsheet, among several other records at the end of last year, containing nearly 2,000 Social Security numbers associated with visitors to the White House in December of 2020. 

The leak included Social Security numbers for Noem, her husband, their three children, and son-in-law, as well as other high-profile officials, including Texas Republican Gov. Gregg Abbott, South Carolina Republican Gov. Henry McMaster, former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson.