Overview
- The uploaded contracting documents were marked for official use only and were not classified.
- CISA says his use of ChatGPT was authorized and limited, stating he last used it in mid-July 2025 under a temporary exception that challenges the reported timeline.
- Shortly after arriving in May, Madhu Gottumukkala obtained special access to ChatGPT while the tool was blocked for most DHS employees.
- CISA sensors registered multiple alerts in early August, and senior DHS and CISA legal and IT officials, including Joseph Mazzara, Antoine McCord, Robert Costello, and Spencer Fisher, reviewed potential exposure.
- Inputs to the public ChatGPT can be retained by OpenAI, unlike DHS-approved tools, and the incident adds to scrutiny of Gottumukkala following a disputed polygraph episode and a blocked attempt to remove CISA’s CIO.