Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks issued a memo to defense leaders reiterating the importance of maintaining federal records in light of new reports that the Department of Defense wiped the data from phones belonging to top officials in the Trump administration around the time of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The Pentagon responded to an American Oversight Freedom of Information Act lawsuit saying the requested documents “were not preserved and therefore could not be searched” because “when an employee separates from DOD or Army he or she turns in the government issued phone, and the phone is wiped,” according to recent court filings.
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In light of the new development, Hicks sent the memo to defense officials on Wednesday, reminding them that “retention of records as required by the Federal Records Act is a solemn responsibility and legal obligation for all federal employees, civilian and military.”
“This memorandum further directs that, effective immediately, all mobile device service providers in DoD will capture and save the data resident on DoD-provisioned mobile devices when devices are turned-in by users,” the memo continues.
Acting press secretary Todd Breasseale affirmed that “the department will be transparent with Congress and the public on records retrieval and stewardship” in light of the deletion of previous defense officials’ communications.
The lost communications between top defense officials such as former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, former chief of staff Kash Patel, and former Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy are relevant to understanding the government’s response during the Capitol riot, which heightens its disappearance.
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The Department of Homeland Security inspector general has taken investigative steps looking into missing text messages between Secret Service members around the time of the Capitol riot, though that inquiry has stammered amid allegations that the independent watchdog has participated in a cover-up. American Oversight wants another investigation to take place regarding DOD’s deleted texts.
