New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has used the encrypted messaging app Signal to communicate with fellow elected officials and political advisers, as well as to discuss government business, potentially violating record-keeping and freedom of information laws, Politico reported.
Signal generated headlines last year after reports that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth used the app on his personal smartphone to discuss U.S. military missions in Yemen.
The news outlet reported Monday that it independently confirmed Mamdani's Signal account, registered to his personal cellphone number, remains active.
Three people familiar with the matter told Politico that he used the app to communicate with elected officials and political advisers and to discuss government business. They were granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue.
New York's Freedom of Information Law gives the public the right to request access to the mayor's communications. But Signal's encryption and ability to automatically delete messages after a set period could make it difficult to retrieve such records if they are stored on the app or deleted altogether.
Mamdani campaigned on ushering in a new era of transparency and good government in the nation's largest city, a promise that critics argue conflicts with the use of encrypted messaging apps for official business.
Norman Siegel, a First Amendment lawyer who previously led the New York Civil Liberties Union, told Politico that mayors should never use Signal to communicate with other government officials.
"I would urge him to not engage in Signal or similar kinds of applications that basically are meant to hide information and prevent the public from knowing the inner workings of government," Siegel said.
Politico also reported that Mamdani left several Signal group chats after his November election victory, citing a person granted anonymity to discuss the issue. The move suggested he was aware of the potential problems the app can pose for government officials.
Mamdani's predecessors were also confronted with communication transparency concerns.
A month into his term, Eric Adams was questioned about his use of Signal. He told City & State at the time that he used the app for only "private" matters and that "government business is conducted on my government phone."
Less than three years later, Manhattan federal prosecutors filed a corruption indictment. It included allegations that Adams used encrypted apps to communicate with staff about his alleged campaign finance fraud.
Adams' predecessor, Bill de Blasio, and his staff also touched off transparency concerns when it was revealed in 2019 that they discussed government scheduling over Signal.
"He's got to stop doing that," John Kaehny, executive director of Reinvent Albany, told Politico of Mamdani's Signal use. Reinvent Albany is a government transparency watchdog group.
Grace Rauh, executive director of Citizens Union, a government accountability nonprofit in New York, echoed concerns about how easily conversations can veer into official business when a mayor speaks to other government officials.
"City leaders must be deliberate about how they communicate," Rauh told Politico. "Any discussion of official government business must occur in a manner that ensures records are preserved and accessible under the Freedom of Information Law. The rules exist to protect the public."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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