Docs: Jack Smith got secret search warrant for Trump Twitter account

Aug 10, 2023

Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Ben Burke (Producer/Editor)

Special counsel Jack Smith obtained a search warrant for records from former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account in January 2023. Smith’s warrant was revealed in court documents released Wednesday, Aug. 9 as part of an order from a three-judge panel with the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington.

According to the documents, when Twitter, now X, failed to make a deadline to comply with Smith’s warrant, the social media company was fined $350,000. The court rejected X’s claim that it should not be held in contempt for initially failing to comply with Smith’s warrant.

In addition to the search warrant for former President Trump’s Twitter account records, Smith’s office obtained a nondisclosure agreement that prohibited X from disclosing the warrant to anyone, including Trump himself.

According to the ruling, X “did not question the validity of the search warrant.” However, the company objected to the non-disclosure agreement four days after the compliance deadline, arguing it violated its First Amendment rights.

It’s unclear what information the special counsel was seeking from Trump’s Twitter account. His team has charged the former president in two federal cases: one for mishandling classified documents and the other for attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Tags: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Twitter, X

SPECIAL COUNSEL JACK SMITH OBTAINED A SEARCH WARRANT FOR RECORDS FROM FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S TWITTER ACCOUNT EARLIER THIS YEAR. — AND WHEN TWITTER FAILED TO MAKE THE DEADLINE TO COMPLY, THE SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANY WAS FINED $350,000.
THESE NEW DETAILS WERE CONFIRMED IN COURT DOCUMENTS RELEASED WEDNESDAY IN AN ORDER FROM A THREE-JUDGE PANEL WITH THE U.S. COURT OF APPEALS IN WASHINGTON.
THE COURT REJECTED TWITTER’S CLAIM THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE HELD IN CONTEMPT FOR INITIALLY FAILING TO COMPLY WITH SMITH’S WARRANT.
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS OBTAINED THE SEARCH WARRANT ON JANUARY 17, ALONG WITH A NONDISCLOSURE AGREEMENT THAT PROHIBITED TWITTER FROM DISCLOSING THE WARRANT TO ANYONE — INCLUDING TRUMP HIMSELF.
ACCORDING TO THE RULING, TWITTER QUOTE – “DID NOT QUESTION THE VALIDITY OF THE SEARCH WARRANT” BUT OBJECTED TO THE NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT – FOUR DAYS AFTER THE COMPLIANCE DEADLINE – ARGUING IT VIOLATED ITS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
THE JUDGES HOWEVER SIDED AGAINST TWITTER.
IT’S UNCLEAR WHAT INFORMATION THE SPECIAL COUNSEL WAS SEEKING FROM TRUMP’S TWITTER ACCOUNT.
HIS TEAM HAS CHARGED THE FORMER PRESIDENT IN TWO FEDERAL CASES: ONE FOR MISHANDLING CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS AND THE OTHER FOR ATTEMPTS TO OVERTURN THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
TRUMP HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY TO ALL CHARGES.