Chicago City Wire

Ted Dabrowski, a candidate for governor of Illinois, has called for a federal investigation into several Midwestern universities accused of improperly sharing student data without consent. This announcement was made alongside former GOP House candidate Desi Anderson.

At a press conference in Bloomington, Illinois, Congressman Darin LaHood, Anderson, and Dabrowski expressed concerns about the misuse of student data. According to Anderson, she filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education earlier this year, accusing several universities of improperly sharing student information. She specifically mentioned Illinois State University and other Midwestern colleges as being involved in providing data to the All In Campus Democracy Challenge. Anderson argued that this organization funnels student information to third-party voting groups without consent, raising alarms over privacy violations.

Anderson and Dabrowski emphasized that protecting student privacy must be prioritized regardless of political affiliation. Anderson said her opposition to any group—whether conservative, liberal, or independent—having access to student data without explicit permission. Dabrowski added that students should not be used as "pawns in election schemes," criticizing bureaucrats who allow such practices. He framed the issue as an exploitation of young people and emphasized his commitment to standing firmly against such breaches of trust if elected governor.

According to the Federalist, a legal complaint filed by Anderson asks the U.S. Department of Education to investigate several Midwestern universities for allegedly disclosing Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)-protected student data to third parties involved in left-wing get-out-the-vote (GOTV) operations. Anderson claims institutions participating in the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge shared student records—including names, addresses, and dates of birth—without consent and later passed them to voter data firms like L2 and Catalist. The complaint asserts these disclosures violated FERPA and urges the Education Department to demand compliance or pursue legal action.

Dabrowski brings over three decades of experience in international finance and domestic policy leadership. He spent 16 years in senior financial roles, including as Head of Corporate Banking at Citibank in Poland, where he advised the government on economic liberalization and managed multi-billion-dollar Treasury portfolios in Poland and Mexico. After returning to the U.S., Dabrowski became Vice President of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute and later served as President of Wirepoints, a nonprofit focused on Illinois’ economy and government. His research has been cited by national outlets including The Wall Street Journal. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Chicago, an MBA in finance from the Wharton School, and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Tech.