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Elon Musk’s X, formerly known as Twitter, has been fined $350,000 for failing to comply with a secret search warrant related to Donald Trump’s account. This search warrant was issued as part of a US Department of Justice investigation into potential interference with the peaceful transfer of power after the 2020 presidential election and the storming of the US Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021.
The search warrant required X to provide data and records related to Trump’s @realdonaldtrump Twitter account, which he frequently used to communicate with his followers during his presidency. However, X did not meet the court-ordered deadline and only provided an incomplete set of records.
X’s delay occurred as the company attempted to challenge a non-disclosure order that prevented it from publicly discussing the search warrant. X argued that this order violated its right to free speech under the First Amendment.
A lower court found that notifying Trump of the search warrant could jeopardize the investigation, potentially allowing the destruction of evidence or changes in behavior. Furthermore, the court document stated that there were concerns about the ex-president fleeing from prosecution, although the government later admitted this aspect was included in error.
Following X’s payment of the $350,000 fine, the lower court permitted the company to inform Trump of the warrant, albeit with certain limitations, due to the public knowledge regarding probes targeting the former president.
This contempt of court fine comes at a time when Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur who purchased Twitter for $44 billion, has significantly reduced the platform’s workforce. The downsizing has raised concerns about understaffing and the impact on internal operations, particularly in compliance-related areas, attracting attention from global regulators.
Trump’s Twitter account was suspended after the events of January 6. However, Musk, a strong advocate of free speech, reinstated the account when he took over Twitter. Trump, who is now involved with the development of a competing social media site called Truth Social, has not resumed active posting on the platform.
The former president recently faced arraignment on four criminal counts in a Washington court. These charges include conspiracy to defraud the US and obstructing a government proceeding, marking the second case brought forth by special counsel Jack Smith’s office.
Jack Smith, who was appointed by US attorney-general Merrick Garland to oversee investigations involving the former president, secured another indictment in June. This indictment accuses Trump of mishandling sensitive government material. Additionally, the ex-president faces charges of falsifying business records in a case brought by the Manhattan district attorney in April.
As the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, Trump maintains his plea of not guilty for all three criminal cases against him. He refers to these legal challenges as a “witch hunt” aimed at infringing on his campaign for the presidency.
In a Truth Social post, Trump expressed his surprise and accused Crooked Joe Biden’s DOJ of secretly targeting his Twitter account. He claimed that he was kept unaware of this significant violation of his civil rights and referred to his political opponent’s actions as attempts to undermine his presidential campaign.
No comments were provided by the DOJ or X regarding this matter.
