Twitter fined for delay in complying with federal Trump election probe

Recently unsealed court documents have revealed that federal investigators obtained a search warrant for former President Donald Trump's Twitter account. The documents indicate that Twitter, now known as X, initially resisted the warrant, leading to the platform being held in civil contempt. The court filings, unsealed on July 18, show that Twitter was fined $350,000 for not meeting the terms of the search warrant in a timely manner.

The warrant was issued to obtain materials related to Trump's @realDonaldTrump Twitter account, which he used prolifically before being suspended following the January 6th Capitol riot.

Special counsel Jack Smith, representing the US Department of Justice, is investigating the events surrounding the Capitol attack and broader actions of Trump during the 2020 election. Smith recently filed four criminal charges against Trump for allegedly attempting to overturn Joe Biden's victory.

The search warrant was applied for on January 17, as part of Smith's investigation into the Capitol riot. The government also requested a nondisclosure order to prevent Twitter from tipping off Trump about the search. The court granted the warrant and the nondisclosure order, as it believed notifying Trump could lead to evidence destruction or interference.

However, delivering the warrant and order proved difficult due to technical issues with Twitter's legal requests website. When the materials were finally served on January 19, Twitter objected to the nondisclosure order on grounds of violating its First Amendment right to free speech. Twitter eventually complied with the warrant, but the appeal to vacate the nondisclosure order was denied.

The court documents highlight Twitter's objection to the order and its attempt to defend its First Amendment rights. The company's objection was rooted in its belief that the order limited free speech.

Trump, in response to the news about the search warrant, used his newly launched social media platform, Truth Social, to criticize the Department of Justice's efforts, accusing them of attacking his civil rights and attempting to undermine his 2024 presidential campaign.

The search warrant and Twitter's resistance to it are part of the ongoing legal battles surrounding Trump's actions before and after the 2020 election, including his claims of election fraud.