Mueller checks witnesses’ phones for secure messaging apps, per report

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Special Counsel Robert Mueller has reportedly asked witnesses in the ongoing investigation of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election to hand in their phones to "inspect their encrypted messaging programs and potentially view conversations between associates linked to President Donald Trump."

On Monday, Mueller's office formally accused Paul Manafort of felony witness tampering by using Telegram and WhatsApp, two well-known secure messaging apps. Manafort, who previously served as Trump's campaign manager during the 2016 presidential race, pleaded not guilty to money laundering, among other charges. Authorities were able to obtain these messages by getting a warrant for Manafort's iCloud account and also by getting unencrypted messages themselves from the recipients of some of those messages.

According to CNBC, since April, the Office of the Special Counsel has been looking at witnesses' phones for evidence of the use of not only those two apps, but also Confide, Signal, and Dust, which operate in a similar fashion.

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