Federal Judge Says Trump Officials’ Conduct Is ‘Certainly Concerning’ as Court Weighs Public Records Case

In a hearing held before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia this afternoon, Judge James Boasberg repeatedly described the conduct of several senior Trump administration officials as “concerning,” citing serious questions raised by the use of the Signal messaging app for official government business. The hearing considered a motion for preliminary injunction filed by nonpartisan watchdog American Oversight, which Judge Boasberg took under advisement.

The watchdog’s motion seeks to compel the preservation of Signal messages sent and received by senior Trump administration officials — including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — since taking office. Last month, Judge Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order requiring the defendants to take immediate steps to preserve the “Houthi PC small group” Signal group chat; the motion heard today addresses the full range of these officials’ Signal communications. 

Following the hearing, American Oversight released the following statement from Executive Director Chioma Chukwu:

“Judge Boasberg is right, the defendants’ conduct is ‘certainly concerning.’ These senior Trump administration officials didn’t just jeopardize our national security and the safety of our brave servicemembers, they exposed a troubling pattern within the administration of using private channels to sidestep legal transparency and avoid scrutiny.

“At its core, this case is about a basic democratic principle: Public officials can’t hide behind technology to avoid accountability. These defendants are powerful decision-makers whose choices directly impact millions of lives. When they bypass federal records laws, they’re not just breaking rules — they’re denying the American people their right to hold public officials accountable for their decisions.”

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