September 26, 2025 – The following is a statement from New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli and the Ciattarelli for Governor campaign regarding Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill’s direct involvement in the largest cheating and honor code scandal in the history of the United States Naval Academy. Also attached is the Ciattarelli campaign legal letter in response to the NARA archives FOIA.

 

“Yesterday, when confronted with irrefutable evidence of her name not appearing in the 1994 US Naval Academy Commencement Ceremony program, Mikie Sherrill was forced to admit she was implicated and punished as part of the massive cheating and honor concept scandal that involved her graduating class, and has since tried to distract attention away from that fact with false accusations and half-truths about what amounts to a clerical error by the National Archives which they took responsibility for and apologized for publicly.

 

The real issue at hand is exactly why Congresswoman Sherrill was barred from walking at her graduation? What specific honor concept violations was she punished for? How did Naval investigators determine her guilt? Did she lie to Naval investigators and how many times? What were those lies? The only way to determine any of these answers is through her authorizing full and immediate release of all academic, disciplinary, and investigatory records related to her time at the Academy and the scandal itself. The New Jersey and national press corps have an obligation to demand and pressure Congresswoman Sherrill – who recently pledged to run the most transparent government in state history - to release her records so the truth can be known by all New Jerseyans.” Those records include:

 

• Naval Inspector General (IG) Report (1993–1994) – interviews for Rebecca Michelle Sherrill related to the full investigation report from Vice Adm. T. Joseph Skolnick, plus any findings related to Mikie related to the 1992 Electrical Engineering 331 exam.
   

• Honor Board Proceedings and Transcripts – include charges, pleas, and findings related to Rebecca Michelle Sherrill and the 1992 Electrical Engineering 331 exam.
   

• Disciplinary Action Records – the individual midshipman files with demerits, expulsion orders, or separation documents from Navy Secretary John H. Dalton (April 1994) – related to Rebecca Michelle Sherrill and the 1992 Electrical Engineering 331 exam.
   

• Academic Transcripts and Conduct Rolls – official transcripts or delinquency registers noting honor violations or class rank impacts – related to Rebecca Michelle Sherrill and the 1992 Electrical Engineering 331 exam.
   

• NCIS Investigation Files – the Naval Criminal Investigative Service reports into the U.S. Naval Academy’s December 1992 EE 331 exam which was provided to the U.S. Naval Academy – related to Rebecca Michelle Sherrill.
   

• The NCIS report titled “Interim Report for Briefing of Superintendent” dated January 18, 1993, and which was presented to between Adm. Lynch – related to Rebecca Michelle Sherrill.
   

• All records that mention Rebecca Michelle Sherrill held in the Nimitz Library’s collection/United States Naval Academy Special Collections Archive, Office of the Commandant/General Records: Conduct and Honor Records, 1918-2011, Series 6: Records relating to the 1992 Electrical Engineering Cheating Scandal, 1992-1994, Boxes 17-18.
   

• Any correspondence in support of implicated midshipmen from interested individuals, parents, and members of Congress mentioning or referencing Rebecca Michelle Sherrill.