washington two u.s. senate democrats tuesday call government-wide investigations trump administration use secretive message phone applications whether officials ignore delay responses congressional oversight request delaware senator tom carper missouri senator claire mccaskill influential members homeland security governmental affairs committee ask inspectors general 24 executive agencies departments investigate whether officials use apps work make hard trace communications apps encrypt message automatically delete read could run afoul laws preserve government record senators write republicans control senate house representatives democrats congress still request inspectors general neutral investigators check various federal offices look specific matter also ask inspectors general officials administration republican president donald trump direct employees government agencies ignore request information democrats congress members party object administration say agencies honor request make senior democrats congressional committees democrats public interest group worry trump administration hide important information possible wrongdoing stonewall potential critics also worry social media trump tweet late delete post office department justice inspector general michael horowitz also chair council federal inspectors general decline comment letter white house respond request comment federal government strict laws preserve record use uncover prosecute public corruption collusion inspectors general often rely archive email text message investigations since trump inauguration january many washington insiders embrace message apps promptly destroy chat encrypt texts phone call leave trace communication smartphones concern information security grow wake hack democratic party email criticism candidate hillary clinton use private server laws count communications non-government account federal record journalists officials frequently communicate via encrypt signal confide messenger apps confide popular company host media technology event year white house correspondents dinner weekend senate democrats seek probe administration 's secret message