BREAKING NEWS: Special Counsel Investigation Obtains Search Warrant for Trump’s Twitter Account
In a stunning development, the special counsel investigation into former President Donald Trump has secured a search warrant for his Twitter account, according to a newly unsealed court filing. The search was so secretive that even Twitter was initially barred from informing Trump about the warrant.
The court filing reveals that Twitter, now referred to as “X” due to a rebranding during its legal dispute with prosecutors, was fined $350,000 for delaying the production of records requested under the search warrant. The warrant, obtained by special counsel Jack Smith, sought “data and records related” to Trump’s account.
It is believed that the information sought by the special counsel relates to Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. The warrant was sought in January 2023, and Twitter eventually produced the records requested.
The dispute between Twitter and the special counsel’s office centered around whether Trump should be informed about the search warrant. The court’s opinion stated that disclosing the warrant to Trump could have seriously jeopardized the ongoing investigation by giving him an opportunity to destroy evidence or notify confederates.
Twitter argued that the non-disclosure order violated the First Amendment and the Stored Communications Act. However, the non-disclosure order was eventually amended to allow Twitter to inform Trump of the existence and contents of the warrant, with certain information about the case agent being withheld.
The sealed legal battle between the special counsel’s office and Twitter was shrouded in secrecy until the release of the DC Circuit ruling. The ruling, written by Circuit Judge Florence Pan and joined by Circuit Judges J. Michelle Childs and Nina Pillard, was issued in July. It detailed the difficulties faced by the special counsel’s office when attempting to serve Twitter with the search warrant.
Prosecutors first attempted to serve Twitter through their website for legal requests but found it to be inoperative. They successfully served Twitter two days later through the same website. However, when prosecutors contacted Twitter’s lawyer to check on compliance, she claimed to have not heard anything about the warrant.
Twitter eventually turned over the records in February, after a district judge denied their request to vacate the non-disclosure order. In June, the order was amended to allow for some information to be provided to Trump.
As this story unfolds, it raises questions about the scope of the special counsel’s investigation and the potential implications for Trump. The public release of the court filing provides a glimpse into the secretive nature of the search warrant and the efforts made to protect the integrity of the investigation.
This article has been updated with additional details as they become available.