A federal court in Washington has ordered a number of senior officials of Donald Trump’s former administration to preserve messages on Signal that related to the planning of a military attack on Yemen.
What happened?
According to The New York Times, Judge James Boasberg made the decision following a lawsuit filed by the human rights organisation American Oversight. It accuses the former officials of violating the Federal Records Act by using a commercial encrypted platform to discuss government issues.
The list of persons affected by the court’s decision includes:a
✔ Michael Volz – National Security Adviser;
Pete Hegseth – Secretary of Defence;
Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence;
Marco Rubio – Secretary of State;
✔ J.D. Vance – Vice President of the United States under Trump.
The court’s order covers the period from 11 to 15 March, when the administration was developing a plan to strike at the Houthis in Yemen.
Are there any consequences for Trump?
The court has not yet recognised the illegality of the officials’ actions.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was appointed by Trump, said that the Department of Justice would not launch an investigation.
Interestingly, The Atlantic ‘s Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly included in the Signal group chat. This further undermined security confidence in the former officials.
Political pressure and the judge’s reaction
Judge Boasberg acknowledged that he was under political pressure. Trump himself has hinted on social media that he is “suspiciously” often assigned cases involving his administration.
The investigation is currently ongoing, and the court’s decision is a precautionary measure to preserve the data.
