The Department of Energy denies the claims
Two DOGE employee had access to highly classified secrets possibly detailing the whereabouts US’ nuclear weapons, according to reports.
Luke Farritor, a former interim at SpaceX, and venture capitalist Adam Ramada have reportedly had one of the government’s most tightly guarded files downloaded onto their computers, alongside nuclear secrets, according to sources close to NPR.
Both Farritor and Ramada, who worked together within Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), were not in positions that would typically grant them access to such highly classified information. Despite this, anonymous sources have claimed to have seen their names listed in directories connected to networks holding top-secret nuclear data.
However, the Department of Energy (DOE), which oversees the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)—the agency responsible for managing nuclear warhead programs—has strongly denied that Farritor and Ramada had any access to these sensitive systems. A DOE spokesperson issued a statement to UNILAD, stating, “This reporting is false. No DOGE personnel have accessed NNSA systems. The two individuals in question worked within the agency for several days and left the DOE in February.” A follow-up email to NPR clarified that while accounts had been created for Farritor and Ramada, they were never activated or accessed.
“DOE can confirm that these accounts were never opened and no data was ever accessed,” the spokesperson emphasized.
Back in February, CNN reported on rumors that DOGE employees had tried to access secure government networks. In response, Energy spokesperson Chris Wright dismissed the claims, telling CNBC, “These rumors about seeing our nuclear secrets are completely false; they do not have security clearances.”
The files in question were allegedly linked to two NNSA networks.
The first network in question is reportedly used to share “restricted data” related to the designs of nuclear weapons, along with other highly sensitive materials. The second, known as the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNet), is the Department of Defense’s (DOE) secure communication platform, which facilitates discussions about warhead-related matters between the DOE and other agencies.
According to NPR, accessing these networks requires a “Q” security clearance, which is typically a lengthy process, though it can be expedited in special circumstances.
A former Department of Defense employee spoke with the publication, explaining that information within SIPRNet is classified at the “secret” level, and if leaked, it “could potentially damage or harm national security.” One source familiar with the situation revealed that the accounts assigned to Farritor and Ramada might have simply served as a “toehold” into these networks, granting them limited access to request classified information for DOE personnel.
“They’re getting a little further in, and that’s something to watch,” the source told NPR. “This could lead to something much bigger.”
