Mauricio Claver-Carone

President Trump advised against using Signal after his advisers accidentally sent war plans to The Atlantic's editor, but top officials continued using the app for group chats with auto-deletion settings. The State Department released records via FOIA litigation, revealing Signal chats between national security figures, including a group with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine, raising concerns about compliance with federal record-keeping laws.

Harry Sargeant III, a Venezuela investor, sought to influence U.S. policy toward Nicolás Maduro by opposing Marco Rubio's hawkish stance and supporting Richard Grenell. Sargeant collaborated with Aaron Schock to orchestrate a public relations campaign aiming to ease sanctions and promote cooperation with Maduro's government.

California Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove questioned Secretary of State Marco Rubio about lobbyist Mauricio Claver-Carone's role in Venezuela, alleging he has been texting with acting President Delcy Rodríguez and brokering deals with the private sector.