American Oversight Files Final Brief Before Friday Hearing on Emergency Motion in Signalgate Lawsuit

Nonpartisan watchdog American Oversight has filed a new brief in its Signalgate lawsuit against the Trump administration, requesting immediate court intervention to prevent further destruction of Signal messages in violation of federal record-keeping laws. The move follows numerous additional revelations of senior officials’ widespread and continuing Signal use, including the high-profile April 30 cabinet meeting involving now-former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz who was photographed using an alternative Signal application. The filing comes just two days before Judge James Boasberg is scheduled to hear the group’s request in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Friday.

In its reply brief, American Oversight cites the systemic failure of multiple high-ranking Trump administration officials to take basic steps to ensure the preservation of not only messages from the “Houthi PC small group” chat at the center of the Signalgate scandal, but also messages stemming from the much wider use of Signal by those officials and their agencies. The group previously secured a temporary restraining order in March covering the original group chat and is now seeking a broader preliminary injunction covering all Signal communications for the duration of litigation.

“Each passing day seems to bring disturbing new revelations about the Trump administration’s alleged misuse of Signal to evade federal record-keeping laws,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “Beyond undermining the public’s right to transparency, the reckless use of unsecured, vulnerable apps to conduct official government business poses a grave risk to our national security and jeopardizes the safety of our brave servicemembers. These senior administration officials have a legal and moral responsibility to properly manage and protect federal records, yet they appear either unable or unwilling to meet these basic obligations. That’s why we’re going to court to hold them accountable and force them to do what’s right.”

American Oversight’s reply brief alleges numerous violations of the Federal Records Act through senior government officials’ widespread use of the Signal app for official business. The watchdog argues that agency heads — including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — have established informal practices that routinely permit the creation and destruction of federal records in violation of the law. Despite previous court orders and pending FOIA requests, the defendants have failed to fully preserve records such as the “Houthi PC small group” chat and other Signal communications.

For more information about American Oversight’s ongoing Signalgate investigation, click here.