Special Counsel Obtains Search Warrant for Trump’s Twitter Account in Election Investigation
Washington – Special Counsel Jack Smith has obtained a search warrant for information about former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account as part of his investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election, according to court records unsealed on Wednesday. The ruling by a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia revealed a lengthy battle between the Justice Department and the Elon Musk-owned social media platform, now known as X. Twitter was fined $350,000 for twice failing to comply with the warrant.
The search warrant, obtained on January 17, 2023, requested data and records pertaining to Trump’s Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump. It also included a nondisclosure order prohibiting Twitter from sharing the existence of the warrant or its contents. This warrant is part of Smith’s investigation into Trump’s actions after losing the 2020 presidential election. Trump has been charged with four counts related to this investigation and recently pleaded not guilty.
Twitter initially objected to the nondisclosure order and withheld the production of data and records while challenging the order. However, the district court rejected Twitter’s argument and imposed sanctions when the company missed the deadline to produce the requested information. Twitter eventually complied several days after the deadline. The company then asked the appeals court to review the district court’s actions, claiming that the nondisclosure order violated the First Amendment and that the court abused its authority by issuing the fine and holding Twitter in contempt. However, the appeals court upheld the lower court’s decision on July 18.
The court order also revealed the challenges faced by the government when trying to serve Twitter with the warrant and nondisclosure order. The government initially tried to submit the papers through Twitter’s website, but it was inoperative. They successfully served Twitter two days later but were informed by Twitter’s counsel on January 25 that she had not heard anything about the warrant.
The details of the information Twitter handed over about Trump’s account are not immediately clear. Trump’s account was permanently suspended after the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol but reinstated after Elon Musk bought the company. Trump has since moved on to using his own social media platform, Truth Social.
This news 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 claimed that the criminal cases against him are meant to derail his presidential candidacy. In response to the news of the search warrant, Trump took to Truth Social to express his outrage and accused the Biden administration of attacking his civil rights.
In conclusion, Special Counsel Jack Smith has obtained a search warrant for Donald Trump’s Twitter account as part of his investigation into the aftermath of the 2020 election. Twitter was fined for failing to comply with the warrant, and the court upheld the sanctions imposed by the district court. The details of the information obtained from Trump’s account remain undisclosed. Trump has responded to the news, claiming that it is an attack on his civil rights. The investigation into Trump’s alleged role in altering the outcome of the 2020 election continues.
Original Story at www.cbsnews.com – 2023-08-09 18:56:00
Comments are closed.