Bondi signals probe into Signal chat is unlikely, despite a long history of similar inquiries

Bondi signals probe into Signal chat is unlikely, despite a long history of similar inquiries
FBI Director Kash Patel was not part of a Signal chat in which other Trump administration national security officials discussed detailed attack plans, but that didn't spare him from being questioned by lawmakers this week. (AFP/File)
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Updated 27 March 2025
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Bondi signals probe into Signal chat is unlikely, despite a long history of similar inquiries

Bondi signals probe into Signal chat is unlikely, despite a long history of similar inquiries
  • FBI and Justice Department for decades have been responsible for enforcing Espionage Act statutes governing the mishandling of national defense information
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi signaled at an unrelated news conference on Thursday that she was disinclined to do so

WASHINGTON: FBI Director Kash Patel was not part of a Signal chat in which other Trump administration national security officials discussed detailed attack plans, but that didn’t spare him from being questioned by lawmakers this week about whether the nation’s premier law enforcement agency would investigate.
Patel made no such commitments during the course of two days of Senate and House hearings, declining to comment on the possibility and testifying that he had not personally reviewed the text messages that were inadvertently shared with the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic who was mistakenly included on an unclassified Signal chat.
That Patel would be grilled on what the FBI might do was hardly surprising.
Even as President Donald Trump insisted “it’s not really an FBI thing,” the reality is that the FBI and Justice Department for decades have been responsible for enforcing Espionage Act statutes governing the mishandling — whether intentional or negligent — of national defense information like the kind shared on Signal, a publicly available app that provides encrypted communications but is not approved for classified information.
The Justice Department has broad discretion to open an investigation, though Attorney General Pam Bondi, who introduced Trump at a Justice Department event this month, signaled at an unrelated news conference on Thursday that she was disinclined to do so. She repeated Trump administration talking points that the highly sensitive information in the chat was not classified, though current and former US officials have said the posting of the exact launch times of aircraft and times that bombs would be released before those pilots were even in the air would have been classified.
She also quickly pivoted to two Democrats, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former President Joe Biden, who found themselves under investigation but never charged for allegedly mishandling classified information. Indeed, the department has conducted multiple high-profile investigations in recent years, albeit with differences in underlying facts and outcomes.
Multiple high-profile figures have found themselves under investigation in recent years over their handling of government secrets, but the differences in the underlying facts and the outcomes make it impossible to prognosticate what might happen in this instance or whether any accountability can be expected. There’s also precedent for public officials either to avoid criminal charges or be spared meaningful punishment.
“In terms of prior investigations, there were set-out standards that the department always looked at and tried to follow when making determinations about which types of disclosures they were going to pursue,” including the sensitivity of the information exposed the willfulness of the conduct, said former Justice Department prosecutor Michael Zweiback, who has handled classified information investigations.
A look at just a few of the notable prior investigations:
Hillary Clinton
The 2016 Democratic presidential nominee was investigated but not charged for her use of a private email server for the sake of convenience during her time as secretary of state in the Obama administration. There appear to be some parallels with the Signal chat episode.
The politically fraught criminal investigation was initiated by a 2015 referral from the intelligence agencies’ internal watchdog, which alerted the FBI to the presence of potentially hundreds of emails containing classified information on that server. Law enforcement then set out to determine whether Clinton, or her aides, had transmitted classified information on a server not meant to host such material.
The overall conclusions were something of a mixed bag.
Then-FBI Director James Comey, in a highly unusual public statement, asserted that the bureau had found evidence that Clinton was “extremely careless” in her handling of classified information but recommended against charges because he said officials could not prove that she intended to break the law or knew that the information she and her aides were communicating about was classified.
The decision was derided by Republicans who thought the Obama administration Justice Department had let a fellow Democrat off the hook. Among those critical were some of the very same participants in the Signal chat as well as Bondi, who as Florida’s attorney general spoke at the 2016 Republican National Convention and mimicked the audience chant of “Lock her up!”
David Petraeus
Among the biggest names to actually get charged is Petraeus, the former CIA director sentenced in 2015 to two years’ probation for disclosing classified information to a biographer with whom he was having an extramarital affair.
That material consisted of eight binders of classified information that Petraeus improperly kept in his house from his time as the top military commander in Afghanistan. Among the secret details in the “black books” were the names of covert operatives, the coalition war strategy and notes about Petraeus’ discussions with President Barack Obama and the National Security Council, prosecutors have said.
Petraeus, a retired four-star Army general who led US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, wound up pleading guilty to a single misdemeanor count of unauthorized retention and removal of classified material as part of a deal with Justice Department prosecutors. Some national security experts said it smacked of a double-standard for its lenient outcome.
Comey himself would later complain about the resolution, writing in a 2018 book that he argued to the Justice Department that Petraeus should have also been charged with a felony for lying to the FBI.
“A poor person, an unknown person — say a young black Baptist minister from Richmond — would be charged with a felony and sent to jail,” he said.
Joe Biden and Donald Trump
These investigations don’t bear much parallel to the Signal episode but nonetheless serve as examples of high-profile probes launched by the department into the mishandling of classified information.
Both found themselves investigated by Justice Department special counsels, with Trump being charged with hoarding top-secret records at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Trump had taken those records after leaving office. He was also accused of showing off a Pentagon attack plan to a visitor at his Bedminster golf club.
The case was dismissed by a Florida-based judge who concluded that special counsel Jack Smith had been improperly appointed. Prosecutors abandoned the case after Trump won in November.
Biden, too, was investigated for his retention of classified information in his home following his tenure as vice president. A special counsel found some evidence that Biden had willfully retained the records but concluded that criminal charges were not merited.
Jeffrey Sterling
A former CIA officer, Sterling was convicted of leaking to a reporter details of a secret mission to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions by slipping flawed nuclear blueprints to the Iranians through a Russian intermediary.
He was sentenced in 2015 to 3 1/2 years in prison, a punishment whistleblower advocates and other supporters decried as impossible to square with Petraeus’ misdemeanor guilty plea just a month earlier.
The details of the operation disclosed by Sterling were published by journalist James Risen in his 2006 book “State of War.”
Sterling was charged in 2010, but the trial was delayed for years, in part because of legal wrangling about whether Risen could be forced to testify. Ultimately, prosecutors chose not to call Risen as a witness, despite winning legal battles allowing them to do so.


Zelensky: Russian strike that hit residential building in Kyiv used North Korean missile

Zelensky: Russian strike that hit residential building in Kyiv used North Korean missile
Updated 8 sec ago
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Zelensky: Russian strike that hit residential building in Kyiv used North Korean missile

Zelensky: Russian strike that hit residential building in Kyiv used North Korean missile
“This will be further proof of the criminal nature of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang,” Zelensky said

KYIV: Russia used a North Korean ballistic missile for the deadly overnight strike that hit a residential building in Kyiv, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, citing preliminary information.
“If the information that this missile was made in North Korea is confirmed, this will be further proof of the criminal nature of the alliance between Russia and Pyongyang,” he said on X.

EU chief says talks with UK PM could ‘pave way’ for defense pact

EU chief says talks with UK PM could ‘pave way’ for defense pact
Updated 7 min 51 sec ago
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EU chief says talks with UK PM could ‘pave way’ for defense pact

EU chief says talks with UK PM could ‘pave way’ for defense pact
  • Both sides are seeking to improve ties amid the global turmoil ushered in by US President Donald Trump
  • Von der Leyen said Thursday’s talks could lead to the UK joining a European defense program

LONDON: Talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday could “pave the way” for a defense and security pact, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen said as the pair met in London.
With a landmark post-Brexit EU-UK due summit next month, both sides are seeking to improve ties amid the global turmoil ushered in by US President Donald Trump.
However Starmer faces a tricky balancing act, as he is also looking to reach out to the Trump administration and secure a favorable trade deal with the United States.
UK and EU officials have been hoping a defense and security pact will be the highlight of the May 19 meeting, as Trump’s return to the White House casts doubt on the United States’ commitment to NATO and European security.
European Commission President von der Leyen said Thursday’s talks could lead to the UK joining a European defense program.
“We will discuss work on a strategic security and defense partnership agreement, which might pave the way then to a joint procurement and UK participation in our SAFE program,” she said, referring to a 150 billion euro ($170 billion) joint EU fund allowing countries to buy missiles, artillery, drones, ammunition and other equipment.
Britain needs to sign a defense pact to be included in the fund, which could benefit UK companies including BAE Systems and Rolls Royce.
The London summit in May is also meant to turn the page on years of post-Brexit strife, as part of a “reset” in relations promised by Starmer.
Welcoming von der Leyen to Downing Street after the pair attended a global energy security summit in London, Starmer said: “In a world which seems increasingly unstable with an uncertain future, it is so good that we are working so closely together on so many issues.”
“I’m really pleased that we’ve committed to a reset of our relationship, a really important relationship, which I think will be of huge benefit to both of us,” he said.
The summit is set to be a key milestone in the Labour leader’s pursuit of closer relations with the bloc following Britain’s bitter 2020 departure under the previous Conservative government.
However Starmer has laid out strict red lines, while the EU has its own demands, raising questions about what exactly the talks can achieve.
The UK prime minister has vowed Britain will not return to the single market or customs union and has ruled out signing up to freedom of movement.
Some EU countries, led by France, have been pushing to link progress on defense agreements to successful negotiations in other areas, with fishing a major sticking point.


Brazil former President Bolsonaro’s health has worsened, doctors say

Brazil former President Bolsonaro’s health has worsened, doctors say
Updated 24 April 2025
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Brazil former President Bolsonaro’s health has worsened, doctors say

Brazil former President Bolsonaro’s health has worsened, doctors say
  • Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro underwent a bowel surgery nearly two weeks ago
  • It was the sixth procedure related to long-term effects of being stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign rally in September 2018

SAO PAULO: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s health condition has worsened following bowel surgery nearly two weeks ago, his doctors said Thursday.
The medical team at the DF Star Hospital in Brasilia, where Bolsonaro continues to recover in intensive care, said the former president “experienced a clinical decline, elevated blood pressure and worsening liver lab test results.” He would undergo additional imaging tests on Thursday, the doctors added.
Bolsonaro underwent a 12-hour surgery on April 13 to remove intestinal adhesions and reconstruct the abdominal wall. It was the sixth procedure related to long-term effects of being stabbed in the abdomen during a campaign rally in September 2018.
Bolsonaro has been in and out of hospitals since the attack and underwent multiple surgeries during his presidency from 2019-2022.
Doctors described the latest surgery as the “most complex” since the stabbing, requiring a “very delicate and prolonged post-surgery.”
There is no expected discharge date from ICU, according to Thursday’s statement. Bolsonaro continues to receive parenteral nutrition and undergo physical therapy and preventive measures for thrombosis.
Since the initial medical report, doctors have advised against visitors for Bolsonaro.
However, the president of his Liberal Party, Valdemar Costa Neto, visited the former president in the ICU on Tuesday. Later that day, Bolsonaro appeared in a live broadcast on the YouTube channel of his eldest son, Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro. And on Monday, the far-right leader gave an interview from his hospital bed to the local television network SBT, saying his trial was not technical but political.
In response, a Supreme Court officer went to Bolsonaro’s hospital room on Wednesday to formally notify him of the start of his trial for an alleged attempt to stage a coup. His legal team has five days, from Wednesday, to present a preliminary defense.
Bolsonaro shared a video of the court officer’s notification, showing him questioning her. He appeared agitated, and someone in the room — apparently a member of his medical team — warned that his blood pressure was rising.
The court officer said in the video that the warrant had been issued on April 11, the same day Bolsonaro was first admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain.


France’s Macron opposes stripping Sarkozy of top honor

France’s Macron opposes stripping Sarkozy of top honor
Updated 24 April 2025
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France’s Macron opposes stripping Sarkozy of top honor

France’s Macron opposes stripping Sarkozy of top honor
  • “I think it is very important that former presidents are respected,” Macron said
  • “The fact that he was elected president by the sovereign people means he deserves respect”

ANTANANRIVO: French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said he opposed stripping former head of state Nicolas Sarkozy of France’s top honor despite the definitive conviction of the right-winger last year on charges of influence-peddling and corruption.
Sarkozy, in an unprecedented punishment for a former head of state, is now wearing an electronic ankle tag after France’s Court of Cassation in December upheld a verdict for him to serve a one-year term outside of prison with the GPS device.
The combative ex-president ruled France from 2007-2012 but failed to win a second mandate in a devastating election defeat to Socialist Francois Hollande and then became embroiled in a string of legal problems.
There had been speculation Sarkozy could lose his Legion of Honour award but Macron, who as head of state is the grand master of the decoration and would have a final say, said he respected Sarkozy and would oppose such a move.
“I think it is very important that former presidents are respected,” he said on the sidelines of a trip to Madagascar, adding he believed “it would not be a good decision” to strip Sarkozy of the award.
“The fact that he was elected president by the sovereign people means he deserves respect. He has my respect. I think he has the respect of the French people,” said Macron.
General Francois Lecointre, France’s former military chief of staff who now serves as the grand chancellor of the Legion of Honour, said last month that such a removal of the award was foreseen under the rules of the order, which was established early in the 19th century by Napoleon Bonaparte.
According to the code of the Legion of Honour, any person definitively sentenced to a prison sentence equal to or greater than one year in prison is “excluded by right” from the order, Lecointre noted.
If Sarkozy is stripped of the award, he would no longer be able to wear it on pain of prosecution.
But while acknowledging that the order has its “rules,” Macron said: “If I have the freedom of maneuver I prefer that a former president retains his place in the order that he belongs to. It’s something to have been president of France.”
Macron himself must step down in 2027 after serving the maximum two terms.
Sarkozy is using his last remaining legal avenue, an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights, to defend himself against the conviction.
He is currently on trial in a separate case on charges of accepting illegal campaign financing in an alleged pact with late Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi.
The court is to give a verdict in September with prosecutors asking for a seven-year prison term for Sarkozy, who denies the charges.
Despite his legal problems, Sarkozy remains an influential figure on the right and is known to regularly meet with Macron.


Far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir visits Yale after Mar-a-Lago fundraiser

Far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir visits Yale after Mar-a-Lago fundraiser
Updated 24 April 2025
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Far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir visits Yale after Mar-a-Lago fundraiser

Far-right Israeli minister Ben-Gvir visits Yale after Mar-a-Lago fundraiser
  • Israeli minister did not meet Trump, who was not in attendance at the event
  • Addressed room of Republican figures and business leaders, where he outlined harsh new measures against Palestinian prisoners

LONDON: Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, made an appearance at Yale University on Wednesday just a day after attending a fundraiser at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Ben-Gvir, who has past convictions for racist incitement and supporting a terrorist group, was previously considered persona non grata by the Joe Biden administration.

At Tuesday’s event in Palm Beach, he addressed a room of Republican figures and business leaders, where he outlined harsh new measures against Palestinian prisoners, according to a report in The Guardian.

“I love the American people very much,” Ben-Gvir told attendees through a translator. “We have a joint war against the jihad.”

While the Israeli minister did not meet Trump, who was not in attendance at the event, he did hold talks with “dozens of senior businessmen from Miami” and Republican House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, according to The Times of Israel.

Ben-Gvir later posted on X that he “had the honor and privilege” of meeting senior Republican officials at Mar-a-Lago, though he did not name them, and in the post he further claimed they endorsed his call to bomb Gaza’s food and aid depots to ramp up pressure for the release of Israeli hostages.

The minister has repeatedly sparked controversy both within Israel and abroad. Since entering Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government in 2022, he has threatened to quit if the Gaza war ends and has advocated for the mass deportation of Arab citizens.

His US visit has prompted condemnation from Jewish organizations and human rights groups alike.

At Yale, protests were held ahead of his scheduled appearance at a meeting hosted by Shabtai, a Jewish society at the university. Demonstrators from Yale’s Students for Justice in Palestine led campus opposition.

Yale did not respond to a request for comment.

Khaled Elgindy, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, said Ben-Gvir’s warm reception in the US was “deeply disturbing.”

He added: “That the GOP is aligned with the most fanatical elements in Israeli politics, while perhaps not surprising, is extremely alarming and does not bode well for the stability of the region.”

Ben-Gvir’s history has long drawn scrutiny.

In 2007, he was convicted of inciting racism and supporting a terrorist organization. He once displayed in his home a photo of Baruch Goldstein, who killed 29 Muslim worshipers in the 1994 Hebron massacre. In 2022, the US State Department condemned his visit to the memorial of extremist rabbi Meir Kahane, whose violent ideology Ben-Gvir has expressed admiration for in the past.

“Celebrating the legacy of a terrorist organization is abhorrent. There is no other word for it,” US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at the time.

“We urge all parties to maintain calm, exercise restraint and to refrain from actions that only serve to exacerbate tensions, and that includes in Jerusalem,” he added.

Despite international rebukes, Ben-Gvir has continued to court controversy. His provocative visits to Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound, most recently earlier this month, have drawn fierce criticism across the region, including a rare public reprimand from Netanyahu last year.

The White House did not comment on Ben-Gvir’s US visit.

Following his Yale appearance, the minister was scheduled to speak at another event in New York City, billed as a discussion on “securing Israel post-Oct. 7.”