Federal Judge James Boasberg has ordered US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also serving as acting archivist, to collect infamous Signal group chat scandal messages and transfer them to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for review. The data includes messages belonging to the top officials in the Donald Trump administration that might be at risk of deletion, Fox News reported.
Also Read: Tulsi Gabbard brutally mocked over ‘religion’ after U-turn on Iran nuclear threat
James Boasberg vs Donald Trump lawsuit: What to know
The court was hearing the lawsuit brought by nonprofit government watchdog American Oversight. This came after journalist Jeffrey Goldberg claimed he was inadvertently added to a messaging chain, which included top national security officials in the Trump administration. They are allegedly planning a strike against the Yemen-based Houthis, according to Law & Crime.
Also read: Donald Trump nominated for Nobel Peace Prize: Origin, impact and other key details
Earlier, the Atlantic also published a story detailing the Signal chat, in which discussion took place regarding imminent plans to conduct airstrikes against the Houthis, Fox News reported.
Judge Boasberg’s statement
The federal judge stated that the court records highlight that five officials from the Trump administration “have thus far neglected to fulfill their duties” under the Federal Records Act. Notably, Boasberg is considered among Trump’s judicial nemeses post his verdicts in the immigration matter.
Judge Boasberg said American Oversight had a strong case against the officials, who used the encrypted messaging app to communicate for work purposes. He added that they even allowed the messages to auto-delete.
The lawsuit asked for a preliminary injunction to force the Trump administration to update the record-keeping policies. It sought to preserve all messages while the matter was being heard, besides ordering Rubio to request Attorney General Pam Bondi to get the deleted messages.
FAQs
1. Who appointed US district Judge James Boasberg?
James Boasberg was appointed by former US President Barack Obama.
2. How did the Donald Trump administration respond to the matter?
The Trump administration has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, insisting that the communication was not “classified,” as per Fox News report.
3. Who was involved in the Signal incident?
It included Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard among others.
