Blumenthal Says Signal Leak Should Be Investigated As A 'Criminal Violation Of The Espionage Act'

4/1/2025

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) called for the FBI to investigate the Trump Administration's leaked Signal chat.

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Transcript

00:00Vigilance and vigor on this extraordinarily important national security issue, and to

00:06Mark Kelly and Senator Hirono as well, the ramifications of this profound national security

00:17breakdown are mushrooming, not diminishing.

00:21This scandal, far from going away, is actually reverberating among our allies, through the

00:29national security apparatus and through our military.

00:35Today, in the confirmation proceedings, the hearing concerning General Kane, I raise this

00:41issue very specifically because our military men and women are understandably outraged

00:50by this breach, putting in danger those pilots who were about to launch on missions in harm's

00:59way, going into the very sophisticated and advanced air defense that the Houthis have

01:07because they've been so aided by Iran.

01:10This national security branch needs and deserves investigation.

01:15I've called for an FBI investigation.

01:18Criminal laws were broken here, in my view.

01:22The FBI National Security Division should be investigating it as a criminal violation

01:29of the Espionage Act.

01:31There are also record requirements that seemingly have been violated, and there needs to be

01:39a full, penetrating, prompt investigation.

01:44I am supportive of Senator Reid and Senator Wicker calling for the Inspector General of

01:54the Department of Defense to investigate, but there is no Inspector General right now.

02:00The Inspector General was fired by Donald Trump.

02:05Even in the best of times, Inspector General reports sometimes take many months, even years,

02:11to complete.

02:12This investigation must be done by the FBI fully, promptly, carefully, comprehensively

02:21because the carelessness that's exemplified here has ramifications all its own.

02:28And I will just say I'm hearing reports that our allies are absolutely aghast and appalled

02:35and now increasingly reluctant to deal with our national security teams, and the Israelis

02:44in particular are absolutely outraged and reassessing what their posture is going to

02:53be vis-a-vis our intelligence community.

02:57The ramifications are sweeping and continuing, and the idea that it's case closed, no way.

03:08This kind of careless, reckless, lawless treatment of clear national security interests cannot

03:16be accepted.

03:17There must be FBI as well as Department of Defense investigations.

03:23So again, my thanks to Senator Duckworth, and I'll turn it over to Senator Kelly.

Blumenthal Says Signal Leak Should Be Investigated As A 'Criminal Violation Of The Espionage Act'

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