Berulis, DOGE and Russia

 For those that don't remember (and why would you?), a guy named Daniel Berulis blew the whistle on DOGE accessing data at the National Labor Relations Board back in early March of 2025.  Now, unless you're in a union (or have to deal with one as a boss), your eyes probably just glazed over.  But ask yourself this:  If it wasn't important, then why is Russia hacking all the information?

"Berulis tracked roughly ten gigabytes of information leaving the NLRB’s networks without explanation. Within minutes of the DOGE accounts being created, login attempts were recorded from a Russian IP address, Berulis says. These attempts used valid credentials associated with DOGE-generated accounts." 

Now, I don't know a thing about "Biometric Update. com" or their reputation.  They are simply the last piece of information I had about this story.  If you would like to refresh your memory about the story in better-known publications you can try here. And here.

But never fear, there is a new source I am not familiar with and they are a little more pointed. 

"A new federal audit has found no evidence that Department of Government Efficiency detailees accessed National Labor Relations Board IT systems during a roughly 100-day window in 2025. But the finding comes with a significant catch: the period the Government Accountability Office reviewed began two days after the window when a whistleblower alleged the most serious misconduct occurred. The result is a report that answers a narrow question while leaving the broader controversy largely unresolved."

You have to wonder why the GAO (an agency that used to be feared by other government agencies) is examining the NLRB after the horse has left the barn.  (And you have to wonder why DOGE asked for access during this period but never used it.)

Now, I'm not a reporter and I am certainly not trying to start a conspiracy theory.  (I worked in the government.  A conspiracy can't survive 3 people knowing about it...much less a government agency knowing.)  But there are a couple of things that grabbed my attention while trying to find some answers.

"The agency's Office of Inspector General separately opened its own investigation into DOGE's presence and the potential breach, according to FedScoop."   If I read correctly, that inspector general's name was Luiz A. Santos.  

Well, Mr. Luiz A. Santos was promoted (?) to Inspector General of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) in July 2025.  This alleged hacking incident took place in early March of 2025.

And, perhaps most significantly, Representative Gerry Connolly died in May of 2025.  He is the one that asked for the investigation. 

"In response to the disclosure, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, requested an investigation in a letter to Luiz A. Santos, acting inspector general of the Labor Department, and Ruth Blevins, inspector general at the NLRB." 

So, the guy that asked for the investigation died and the guy that was doing the investigation was promoted.  There may be nothing more nefarious going on here than a bureaucratic dropped ball.

Of course, that would not explain the bush-league attempt to intimidate Mr. Berulis.

"....Mr. Berulis experienced suspected acts of retaliation, including someone “physically taping a threatening note” to his door that included sensitive personal information and a photo of him walking his dog." 

The picture of his dog-walking was taken by a drone.  Sounds like something a tech-enthralled kid might do.  It certainly doesn't sound like anything the U.S. Government would do.  Trust me, if Uncle Sam wants to intimidate you, he can do it.  Of course, one of Sam's hands may be trying to protect you while the other tries to squeeze you.  That was the beauty of our Government -- nobody had all the power.

Hopefully, there is some intrepid reporter out there still working on this story and trying to nail down the facts.  Hopefully, there is an IG, GAO or other Congressional investigator still digging.  I'm just here, trying to keep the story -- and the idea of America -- alive. 

Don Brown
May 12, 2026