Top US prosecutor’s use of text message auto-delete could be illegal, watchdog groups warn

Lindsey Halligan, who's brought cases against James Comey and Letitia James, allegedly violated records-retention laws

A top federal prosecutor's use of an encrypted messaging application with messages set to be automatically deleted after eight hours was potentially illegal, two watchdog groups said.

Lindsey Halligan, the interim US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia, used Signal earlier this month to communicate with Anna Bower, a journalist for Lawfare, about the criminal case she is pursuing against the New York attorney general, Letitia James. Bower published the full conversation on Monday evening and said Halligan had set messages to auto-delete after eight hours.