US Government Officials Can Use Encrypted Messaging App Signal for Official Purposes, Provided Decisions Made During Communication are Also Recorded Through Formal Channels, Says CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
The Atlantic magazine reported on Monday that top government officials under US President Donald Trump allegedly discussed military operations against Houthi rebels in Yemen over a Signal chat group. The article’s author, Jeffrey Goldberg, claimed to have gained access to the information after being added to a Signal chat group called “Houthi PC small group” by the US national security advisor, Mike Waltz.
During a hearing of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, Ratcliffe acknowledged that he was also a member of the group, where cabinet members discussed airstrikes in Yemen.
“One of the first things that happened after I was confirmed as CIA director in late January was that Signal was installed on my computer at the CIA, as it is for most CIA employees” Ratcliffe recalled.
According to the CIA chief, it was a common practice during the previous administration under President Joe Biden to use Signal for communication.
“It is permissible to use Signal for communication and coordination for official purposes. Provided that all decisions made during the communication are also recorded through formal channels” Ratcliffe stated, adding that his “staff have implemented these processes.”
Tulsi Gabbard, who was also questioned, insisted that “no classified material was shared.”
Democratic Senator Mark Warner from Virginia, during the hearing, described the incident as “another example of the sloppy, careless and incompetent behavior of Trump’s team.” “If this were the behavior of an intelligence officer, they would be fired” he emphasized.
Politico reported on Tuesday, citing sources in the White House, that about half of the government officials believe Waltz “should not keep his job” after accidentally adding a journalist to a government chat.
However, Trump later downplayed the incident, calling it “the only mistake in two months” and claiming it had “no impact” on the military operations. “Michael Waltz has learned his lesson and he is a good man” the President said.