Hogan administration found to use disappearing messaging app to communicate with staff

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and his administration were found to use a messaging app that deletes messages after 24 hours, keeping his internal communications with staff members private and out of the state archives.

Messages from the end-to-end encryption app Wickr obtained by The Washington Post show Hogan talking about a wide range of topics including the state's response to the pandemic, coordinating with staffers and complaining about media. Chat rooms used by Hogan were set to a timer called "Burn-on-Read" which deletes the messages after 24 hours, the Post reported, citing records.

Hogan spokesman Mike Ricci told the Post the governor uses the app to "have political and communications conversations with advisers, many of whom do not work for the state." But the Post's reporting shows state employees who responded to Hogan's messages include his chief of staff and communications director.

In one instance, Hogan complained to staffers about acknowledging that 500,000 tests he had ordered from South Korea at the height of the start of the pandemic needed replacing due to flaws.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hogan-administration-found-to-use-disappearing-messaging-app-to-communicate-with-staff/ar-AASl1Zd