In Washington, a federal judge has issued an order compelling the Trump administration to retain records from a series of secure communications among top national security officials discussing strategic plans for a military action against Yemen’s Houthi insurgents.
The injunction was handed down by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, who prohibited officials from the administration from erasing any messages exchanged on the encrypted Signal application. This order came after American Oversight, a non-profit watchdog group, filed a request for the preservation of these communications.
The messages in question were made public by The Atlantic, which released the entire chat on Wednesday. In the conversation, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed intricate details such as the timing of warplane launches and the dropping of bombs, information crucial to the military operation against the Houthis. Participants in this conversation included key figures like national security adviser Michael Waltz, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
According to the images published by The Atlantic, the messages were set to expire after one week. American Oversight has initiated legal proceedings seeking to ensure compliance with the Federal Records Act, suspecting the frequent use of Signal by administration officials for government communication.
“The utilization of a commercial app lacking classification for matters as critical as military planning leads to the probable conclusion that other official business may also be conducted through Signal,” attorneys for American Oversight stated in their court filing.
Judge Boasberg’s directive focuses on messages exchanged between March 11 and March 15. Justice Department representative Amber Richer said, “We are in the process of validating the existing records.”
The judge expressed his satisfaction in reaching a resolution and mandated a status update from the government. His directive is temporary, set to expire on April 10, provided the measures taken meet the court’s standards.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, reassured that no classified content was disseminated via Signal. Sean Parnell, speaking for Secretary Hegseth, emphasized that no confidential materials were shared, only updates on an ongoing mission.
Further, testimonies from Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe before the Senate Intelligence Committee revealed that it was Hegseth’s responsibility to determine the classified nature of the information.
American Oversight maintains that even if messages are on private devices, the public deserves access to records of governmental actions. “This is a concerted effort to bypass federal regulations on record-keeping,” the group’s attorneys asserted. Such actions, they claim, deny both the public and Congress insight into governmental operations.
Judge Boasberg has faced challenges with the administration previously, notably in a separate case relating to the deportation of Venezuelan immigrants under an obsolete wartime law. Despite his orders, deportation flights proceeded, and the judge remains resolved to investigate potential non-compliance with his instructions.
Appointed by President Barack Obama, Boasberg acknowledged during the hearing that his recent order was aligned with ongoing efforts by government entities to maintain the Signal chats, indicating minimal disruption for the administration.