Explosive revelations have emerged from newly unsealed court filings, unveiling a search warrant targeting former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who has been overseeing a high-stakes criminal investigation into alleged interference with the peaceful transfer of power following the 2020 election, secured the warrant in January 2023. The warrant, directed at Twitter (now known as X), aimed to retrieve “data and records” linked to the ” @realDonaldTrump” Twitter handle.
Upon learning of the warrant, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, expressing outrage at what he dubbed a “major ‘hit’ on my civil rights.” The former president speculated about a deliberate attempt to undermine his campaign for re-election, raising concerns about the sanctity of the First Amendment. Trump’s response reflected an air of suspicion, questioning if Special Counsel Jack Smith was orchestrating a campaign to “destroy and delete all evidence.”
The court’s ruling, disclosed through the unsealed filings, highlighted the district court’s determination of “probable cause to search the Twitter account for evidence of criminal offenses.” The decision was accompanied by a “nondisclosure order,” effectively preventing Twitter from informing Trump about the warrant. This order was designed to prevent tipping off the former president, thereby safeguarding the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
In response to Twitter’s initial appeal, which contended that the “nondisclosure order” infringed upon the First Amendment, the court revealed that the social media giant ultimately complied with the warrant. However, Twitter’s compliance came after a three-day deadline, marked by a federal judge imposing a significant $350,000 sanction on the company for resisting.
The recent unsealed documents also shed light on the broader legal context surrounding the investigation. Last week, a federal jury issued a multi-felony indictment against Trump, charging him with Conspiracy to Defraud the United States, Conspiracy to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, An Attempt to Obstruct an Official Proceeding, and Conspiracy Against Rights – all connected to the 2020 presidential election.
In response, Trump vehemently denounced the charges as a “pathetic attempt by the Biden Crime Family and their weaponized Department of Justice to interfere with the 2024 Presidential Election.” Despite the indictment, Trump steadfastly pleaded not guilty to all four charges, maintaining his position amidst the unfolding legal saga.
