Superior resident receives thousands of Social Security Numbers from Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office
Wisconsin State Public Defenders Seal
SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office has allegedly revealed thousands of Social Security Numbers of Wisconsin residents, sending the information via e-mail to a client.
According to the client, identified as Joe Eischens of Superior, he made a public records request on a matter regarding his own case.
The Wisconsin Office of Public Defender responded by e-mailing a Google Drive link with documents to download.
Upon downloading the documents, Eischens discovered the documents actually contained the names of thousands of people, along with their Social Security Numbers, addresses, phone numbers, and birthdates, among other information.
That document attachment was apparently a mistake.
This error was apparently confirmed in a memo from Wisconsin’s State Public Defender Jennifer Bias sent to the client.
The letter acknowledged the accidental release of the Social Security Numbers.
Eischens said he has not copied or distributed any of the information.
He did show some of the records to FOX21 to demonstrate he had the information.
None of the information was recorded or noted during the demonstration.
Eischens says he will delete all of the information once he has received clear confirmation from the Wisconsin State Public Defender Office that he will not be in any legal danger due to the apparent accidental discloser of the vital information.
Eischens has been in communication with the Wisconsin State Public Defender Office over this matter.
But the e-mailed document are not the only documents in question.
In a memo shown to FOX21, the Wisconsin State Public Defender Office also wrote they mailed a USB drive to Eischens.
The USB Drive was sent to a Duluth Post Office Box address.
That Duluth Post Office Box does not exist.
It is currently unknown where the mailed USB Drive is located.
It is also unknown if the apparently missing USB Drive contained the originally requested public information, documents containing Social Security Numbers and personal information, or something else.
Eischens stated he has never used the PO Box where the USB Drive was sent or a similar postal address.
He is unsure how that address could be tired to his name.
Upon reaching out to the Wisconsin State Public Defender Office, FOX21 received the following statement acknowledging the breach:
“The Wisconsin State Public Defender’s (SPD) office has learned that it inadvertently released confidential information to an individual while fulfilling an open records request. The SPD has engaged with regulatory authorities to ensure the matter is addressed with the utmost diligence.”
This is an ongoing investigation.
