Members of the Trump administration have been accused of violating federal law by using the encrypted messaging app Signal to discuss military actions in the Middle East. A lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C., alleges that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other officials failed to comply with the Federal Records Act (FRA) while planning and coordinating imminent U.S. military strikes in Yemen.
The conversations in question reportedly took place over several days in March and involved multiple high-ranking officials. The use of Signal, an app known for its encryption and self-deleting message function, has raised concerns that key government communications were not properly recorded or preserved, as required by federal law. The controversy became public when a journalist was inadvertently added to the group chat by a senior national security official.
According to the lawsuit, at least one participant in the Signal chat activated the auto-delete feature, setting messages to disappear after a set time limit. Some messages were programmed to vanish after a week, while others were set to disappear after four weeks. The deletion of even a single message, as the lawsuit argues, represents a violation of federal recordkeeping requirements and also has implications under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
The plaintiffs argue that those involved in the chat were aware, or should have been aware, that deleting messages in such a manner violated their legal obligations. They further allege that the officials did not take appropriate steps to prevent the automatic deletion of records, despite being legally required to do so. The lawsuit also claims that agencies have not implemented procedures to ensure that Signal messages are forwarded to official government accounts for proper recordkeeping.
The use of Signal for government communications, particularly regarding national security decisions, is cited as a clear violation of the FRA and the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The lawsuit emphasizes that Signal is not an authorized platform for preserving federal records and does not meet established recordkeeping requirements. Messages that discuss government actions, especially those involving military strategy, must be maintained under federal law.
In addition to the allegations against officials in the Department of Defense, the lawsuit also targets Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is simultaneously serving as the acting Archivist of the United States. This dual role places additional legal responsibilities on him to ensure the preservation of federal records. The lawsuit claims that Rubio has failed to take necessary action to recover or preserve the deleted messages, further violating both the FRA and APA.
The lawsuit seeks multiple declaratory judgments, including a ruling that the defendants violated federal law by failing to preserve government records. The plaintiffs also request an injunction to force compliance with federal records laws and to facilitate the recovery of any deleted materials where possible. The legal action aims to hold officials accountable for their use of unauthorized messaging platforms and to prevent the future destruction of important government communications.
