A Washington-based ethics watchdog has launched an investigation into interim U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan’s alleged use of the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate with a journalist about an active federal prosecution — a move that could violate federal record-keeping laws and deepen scrutiny over her short but controversial tenure at the Department of Justice.
American Oversight, a nonprofit known for its transparency litigation, announced Thursday that it filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking Halligan’s Signal messages and related records. The group said the inquiry follows a Lawfare report by journalist Anna Bower, who revealed she had exchanged Signal messages with Halligan over a 33-hour period. The two allegedly discussed details of the Justice Department’s ongoing case against New York Attorney General Letitia James — one of former President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics.
Halligan, who served as Trump’s personal attorney before being appointed interim U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia in September, has already faced backlash over her rapid-fire indictments of two other longtime Trump adversaries: James and former FBI Director James Comey.
If the Signal exchanges are confirmed, the implications could extend beyond political optics. Federal officials are required by law to preserve a public record of official actions, including communications related to government business. Signal’s disappearing-message feature — which automatically deletes texts after a set period — poses an obvious challenge to those transparency obligations.
American Oversight’s filing, signed by attorney Ben Sparks, requested that the Justice Department produce “all messages on the messaging platform Signal and any app that can interface with Signal or borrow its technology sent or received by U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan regarding government business” from Sept. 22, 2025, onward. The group argued that disclosure is “likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of operations or activities of the government.”
The investigation has drawn comparisons to the so-called “Signalgate” episode earlier this year, in which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other senior officials were found to have used Signal to discuss military operations. That revelation prompted concerns about a culture of encrypted, auto-deleting communications inside the highest levels of government — communications that escape public accountability.
In a statement, American Oversight executive director Chioma Chukwu called Halligan’s alleged conduct “deeply alarming.”
“Using disappearing, encrypted messaging apps like Signal to conduct sensitive government business isn’t just irresponsible — it poses serious risks to national security, undermines accountability, and may violate federal records laws designed to protect the public’s right to know,” Chukwu said.
She added, “No one can go ‘off the record’ to avoid following the law — not even someone acting as a powerful interim U.S. Attorney.”
Under federal law, the Justice Department must respond to the FOIA request within 20 business days. If it refuses or fails to release the requested materials, American Oversight could file suit to compel disclosure.
If evidence confirms Halligan used auto-deleting messages for official DOJ business — particularly to discuss an active prosecution — the matter could trigger an internal review by the department’s Office of the Inspector General.
For now, Halligan has not publicly responded to the allegations.
