Who is suing Hegseth, other Trump officials over Signal chat?

The Signal group chat scandal is ramping up as some members of President Donald Trump’s administration are now facing lawsuits.

Jeffrey Goldberg’s exposure of the Signal group chat where Yemen war plans were reportedly being discussed has resulted in government watchdog group American Oversight filing a lawsuit to “recover unlawfully deleted messages and prevent further destruction.”

Those named in the suit are Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also acting Archivist. It was filed under the Federal Records Act which requires federal officials to keep copies of any and all communications related to their business.

In a statement regarding their decision to take legal action, American Oversight Interim Executive Director Chioma Chukwu disparaged the use of Signal to discuss such sensitive information.

“This reported disclosure of sensitive military information in a Signal group chat that included a journalist is a five-alarm fire for government accountability and potentially a crime,” he said. “War planning doesn’t belong in emoji-laden disappearing group chats. It belongs in secure facilities designed to safeguard national interests — something any responsible government official should have known. Our lawsuit seeks to ensure these federal records are preserved and recovered. The American people deserve answers and we won’t stop until we get them.”

The group has also bragged about the “numerous lawsuits” and investigations it has launched against the Trump administration since the president returned to office in January.

“Since President Trump took office, American Oversight has filed numerous lawsuits and launched investigations into Trump’s mass firing of independent inspectors general, DOGE’s secretive efforts to invade agencies, the Trump administration’s quid pro quo campaign with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and its directive to USAID staff to shred and burn government records. American Oversight will continue to hold Trump and his allies accountable by shining a light on the administration’s actions,” the statement reads.

“American Oversight also played a key role in holding the Trump administration accountable during the president’s first term. Using public records backed by aggressive litigation, American Oversight uncovered extensive evidence of corruption, conflicts of interest, and abuses of power throughout the administration.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and NatSec adviser Mike Waltz pushed back on the “sensationalist spin” from Goldberg.

Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin. Here are the facts about his latest story:

1. No “war plans” were discussed.

2. No classified material was sent to the thread.

3. The White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different…

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 25, 2025

Jeffrey Goldberg is well-known for his sensationalist spin. Here are the facts about his latest story:

1. No “war plans” were discussed.

2. No classified material was sent to the thread.

3. The White House Counsel’s Office has provided guidance on a number of different platforms for President Trump’s top officials to communicate as safely and efficiently as possible.

As the National Security Council stated, the White House is looking into how Goldberg’s number was inadvertently added to the thread.

Thanks to the strong and decisive leadership of President Trump, and everyone in the group, the Houthi strikes were successful and effective. Terrorists were killed and that’s what matters most to President Trump.

She even went so far as to call the story a “hoax.”

The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT “war plans.”

This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin. pic.twitter.com/atGrDd2ymr

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 26, 2025

“The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT ‘war plans.’ This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” she declared.

No locations.

No sources & methods.

NO WAR PLANS.

Foreign partners had already been notified that strikes were imminent.

BOTTOM LINE: President Trump is protecting America and our interests.

— Mike Waltz (@MikeWaltz47) March 26, 2025

“No locations. No sources & methods. NO WAR PLANS. Foreign partners had already been notified that strikes were imminent. BOTTOM LINE: President Trump is protecting America and our interests,” Waltz wrote.

As BizPac Review previously reported, Gabbard and Ratcliffe denied that any classified information was shared over the app.

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia, demanded the pair turn over the messages in Tuesday’s Senate Intelligence Committee hearing despite Gabbard saying she was “not going to get into” the issue and assuring the senator that the matter was “under review.”

“Senator, I’ll reiterate that there was no classified material that was shared,” Gabbard said.

Ratcliffe also assured lawmakers that the use of Signal to discuss plans was authorized.

“When I was confirmed as CIA director, Signal was loaded onto my computer at the CIA as it is for most CIA officers. One of the things that I was briefed on very early, senator, was by the CIA records management folks about the use of Signal as a permissible work use,” he explained.

Gabbard, Ratcliffe tell committee no classified info was shared in group chat, but it’s still ‘under review’ https://t.co/unpiD78ZQr via @BIZPACReview

— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) March 25, 2025

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to BizPac Review.

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