A search warrant for Donald Trump’s Twitter account was obtained by the US special counsel in January, but compliance from the platform was delayed, as noted in a ruling from a US appeals court on Wednesday.
The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a federal trial judge’s decision to hold Twitter, now operating under the name X, in contempt, imposing a fine of $350,000 (approximately Rs. 3 crore).
The court’s ruling indicated that Twitter had expressed concerns regarding the First Amendment relating to a nondisclosure order associated with the warrant, stating its intent to inform Trump of the order.
According to the ruling, “Under the circumstances, the court did not abuse its discretion when it ultimately held Twitter in contempt and imposed a $350,000 sanction.”
In a post on his platform Truth Social, Trump claimed that the Justice Department “secretly attacked my Twitter account, making it a point not to let me know about this major ‘hit’ on my civil rights.”
Prosecutors often seek to ensure that individuals under investigation are not made aware of subpoenas to protect the integrity of their cases, a practice highlighted in the appeals court ruling on Wednesday.
A representative for special counsel Jack Smith declined to provide a comment, while a spokesperson for X did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
The opinion released on Wednesday did not specify which judge had ordered the contempt ruling against Twitter.
While Trump’s tweets are accessible to the public, Twitter retains additional non-public data from accounts, including direct messages, tweet drafts, location information, and details about the devices used to post.
The search warrant was linked to Smith’s investigation into the events surrounding the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters during his presidency.
Last week, Trump entered a not guilty plea to an indictment accusing him of orchestrating efforts to overturn his loss in the November 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden.
Currently, Trump leads the Republican field for the 2024 presidential nomination.
© Thomson Reuters 2023
