‘You are not above the law:’ Local leaders, veterans call for accountability after journalist added to Signal group chat on Houthi strike

CHICAGO — Dozens of veterans gathered downtown on Thursday for a rally calling for members of the Trump Administration to be held accountable after the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief was mistakenly added to a Signal chat among senior national security officials who were discussing attack plans against the Houthis.

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Illinois) was among several local leaders and former military members who attended the rally at Daley Plaza as they called for accountability for what they were calling a “major breach of security.”

“Leaking classified information, endangering the lives of military men and women overseas this very second, is not patriotic,” Veterans for Change President Jessie Rojo said.

On Wednesday, The Atlantic published a string of messages from the encrypted app “Signal”, that included its Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg, who was mistakenly added to the chat.

The conversation discussed a bombing operation in Yemen earlier this month, revealing time-stamped details about weapons systems and a sequence of air strikes.

“He has needlessly endangered American service members in a war zone. We are here to say what Hegseth refuses to hear. You are not above the law,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Krishnamoorthi joined the group at Daley Plaza after a house intelligence committee hearing on Wednesday.

Krishnamoorthi said he believes Hegseth and other top security officials have not taken accountability for the security breach.

During the hearing, Krishnamoorthi grilled the heads of the FBI, CIA and Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard and called for a full investigation into the incident, turning the tables on Democrats.

But on Thursday, Attorney General Pam Bondi signaled that a probe into the incident is unlikely.

“It was sensitive information, not classified, and inadvertently released and what we should be talking about is it was a very successful mission our world is now safer because of that mission,” Bondi said during an exchange with reporters.

But Krishnamoorthi said he believes Bondi is covering up for the officials.

“I think that Pam Bondi is essentially covering up for a gross lapse that occurred with regard to our security an investigation must occur,” Krishnamoorthi said.

According to Krishnamoorthi, Mississippi Republican Senator Roger Wicker has called for an investigation that he says will happen in the Department of Defense.

The watchdog group American Oversight has also filed a federal lawsuit saying the Signal messaging app violates several records-keeping laws.