Special counsel Jack Smith received a search warrant to obtain information about former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account earlier this year as part of his investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election, according to newly unsealed court records. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia revealed that the Justice Department and Twitter, now known as X, engaged in a lengthy battle behind closed doors. Twitter was ultimately held in civil contempt and fined $350,000 for failing to comply with the warrant.
Smith obtained the warrant for data and records related to Trump’s Twitter account @realDonaldTrump on January 17, 2023. Twitter was prohibited from sharing the existence of the warrant or its contents. The warrant stemmed from Smith’s investigation into Trump’s actions after losing the 2020 presidential election. Trump has been charged with four counts in connection with that probe and recently pleaded not guilty.
Twitter objected to the nondisclosure order and refrained from producing the requested data and records while challenging the order. However, the district court rejected Twitter’s argument and set a new deadline for producing the records. Twitter missed the deadline, and the court imposed sanctions, including the fine, and denied Twitter’s objections to the nondisclosure agreement. Twitter eventually provided the requested information several days after the deadline.
In response, Twitter appealed to the higher court, arguing that the nondisclosure order violated the First Amendment and that the court overstepped its authority by issuing the fine and holding them in contempt. However, the appeals court upheld the lower court’s decision in a ruling issued on July 18 but made public on Wednesday.
The unsealed order revealed that the government encountered difficulties while attempting to serve Twitter with the warrant and nondisclosure order. Twitter’s website was initially inoperative, preventing the government from submitting the papers through the website. However, two days later, on January 19, the government successfully served Twitter through the website. When the government later contacted Twitter’s counsel to check on the status of compliance, the counsel claimed to have no knowledge of the warrant.
The exact details of what Twitter handed over regarding Trump’s account remain unclear. After the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol, Trump’s account was permanently suspended. However, it was reinstated after Elon Musk acquired Twitter. Trump has since refrained from tweeting and instead started using his social media platform, Truth Social.
News of the search warrant comes after a federal grand jury indicted Trump for his alleged role in conspiring to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. Trump has consistently argued that the criminal cases against him are solely intended to disrupt his presidential candidacy. He promptly reacted to the news of the search warrant on Truth Social, claiming that the Department of Justice secretly attacked his Twitter account to infringe on his civil rights.
In conclusion, the unsealed court records shed light on the battle between the Justice Department and Twitter over the search warrant for Donald Trump’s Twitter account. The court ultimately held Twitter in contempt and imposed a fine for noncompliance. The investigation into Trump’s actions after the 2020 election continues, with the former president pleading not guilty to the charges.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
