Amid a national focus on the private messaging platform Signal, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s office is facing questions about Johnston and his advisers’ recent use of the app, which can auto-delete messages, to discuss the Trump administration’s actions. A group chat — called “Strike Force ” — was created in the encrypted messaging app for the mayor and 14 of his advisers on Jan. 15, in the days before President Donald Trump took office, as first reported last week by CBS Colorado. They used it to “keep track of federal actions,” confirmed Jordan Fuja, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office. In the months since then, Denver has faced heavy federal scrutiny of its migrant response and immigration policies, in particular. The chat was initially set to auto-delete messages, but on Jan. 29, that option was removed, Fuja said. Awareness of Signal has exploded since The Atlantic reported this week that its editor-in-chief was added to a group chat in the app between top U.S. military advisors and officials, who were discussing plans to strike Houthi targets across Yemen. The revelation has prompted discussion around whether and how government officials should use the platform. “The more public business is discussed on apps where messages can be deleted within hours or days, the harder it is to get an understanding of how government does its business,” said Jeff Roberts, director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. Fuja has defended the use of Signal by Johnston and other city officials to coordinate. “In a large organization where individuals use different operating systems (iPhone, Android) and receive hundreds of texts and emails a day, Signal allows people to efficiently receive real time updates and share information,” Fuja wrote in a text message. The app’s popularity has been growing, with more than 2.7 million downloads so far this year, according to the Washington Post. That’s a 36% increase from the same period last year. Dozens of federal workers told the newspaper that they have embraced the platform since Trump’s second inauguration to shield their communications. In Denver, Fuja said the group chat didn’t violate the city’s records retention laws. But employees may still have violated internal city policies by having the app on their government-issued devices, according to the city technology department’s policies. “City employees sign a technology use agreement annually that outlines expectations for appropriate use of city devices,” said Amanda Weston, the Technology Services spokesperson. While the app wasn’t explicitly listed in those agreements, employees who downloaded it on their work phones have since deleted it, Fuja said. “Our administration immediately addressed the issue for the few who inadvertently downloaded the app on a city-issued phone as soon as we were made aware of the policy,” Fuja said. The group chat hasn’t included sensitive information or been used to make policy decisions, she said. Roberts said his organization has been worried about apps like Signal for a while now. He suspects it’s used often by government officials. “It’s hard to get a handle on because the records don’t exist,” he said. The problem with government officials using it is when messages — which can reveal the inner workings of government — are automatically deleted. Related Articles In rare move, Denver council rejects Salvation Army contract over homeless shelter safety Denver’s 911 calls aren’t being answered fast enough; City Council hopes a bump in phone fees will help Council members want to know how much new women’s soccer stadium will cost Denver Denver still isn’t tracking expenses related to its homelessness initiative, city auditor says Denver will spend $1.9 million trying to attract people to 16th Street Mall this summer “The more public business is discussed on apps where messages can be deleted within hours or days, the harder it is to get an understanding of how government does its business,” Roberts said. This isn’t the first time Signal has come up in Colorado politics. In 2023, Elisabeth Epps, a former state lawmaker from Denver, and Rep. Bob Marshall, a Highlands Ranch Democrat, sued their fellow Democratic legislators over use of the app, alleging it violated the state’s open-meetings law. In 2024, legislators passed a bill that exempted digital communications from the open meetings law, but it allows those communications to be requested as public records. Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter, The Spot. ...read more read less