Special Counsel Jack Smith gains access to Donald Trump’s Twitter account – including private direct messages and draft tweets – after obtaining a SECRET search warrant
- Smith’s office was ordered in January to search Trump’s Twitter account
- Elon Musk’s company took three days to respond and was fined $350,000
- A lawyer for Twitter, now known as “X,” said they sent “all direct messages, the DMs” to the special counsel team investigating Trump
A new court document revealed that Special Counsel Jack Smith gained access to Donald Trump’s Twitter account — including private messages and draft tweets — after obtaining a classified search warrant during his investigations into the former president.
Smith is investigating Trump for alleged crimes to obstruct the 2020 election results and also for his mishandling of classified documents.
The new filing reveals that he was able to access Trump’s private direct messages, draft tweets and other information related to his former “@RealDonaldTrump” account while Smith continued his investigation.
The special counsel had obtained a classified search warrant in January to search Trump’s Twitter account for evidence of criminal offenses related to his alleged efforts to undermine the 2020 election.
A judge subsequently fined Elon Musk’s social media giant $350,000 for initially refusing to comply, according to documents released last week. The company, now known as “X,” was also barred from telling Trump about the order.
An unsealed police report made public Tuesday evening showed that Twitter provided the requested information.
According to a lawyer for Smith’s special counsel team, investigators were concerned that if Trump found out about the order, he could try to “damage” their investigation.
“There are concrete, identifiable reasons to believe that if the former president were aware of these secret investigative steps, there would be real harm and concern to the investigation and to the witnesses moving forward.”
An unsealed police report made public Tuesday evening showed that Twitter provided the requested information.
The filing says Smith obtained a search warrant directing Twitter to produce “data and records” related to Trump’s Twitter account.
It was not immediately clear what was in the content of the messages or draft tweets.
According to a transcript attached to the filing, a Twitter attorney said they sent “all direct messages, the DMs” to the special counsel team, including those in “draft form.”
In addition, the special counsel team was given access to Trump’s “deleted” and “undeleted” direct messages.
The former president had previously accused Joe Biden of being behind the order.
The former president had previously accused Joe Biden of being behind the order.
He also criticized Smith for “breaking into” his Twitter account in a post on Monday.
“How dare the prosecutor, deranged Jack Smith, break into my Twitter account without notifying me and, indeed, completely conceal this atrocity from me. What could he discover that is not yet known.’
Trump was permanently banned from Twitter in January 2021 after the U.S. Capitol riot.
Musk has since recovered his account, but he still hasn’t posted anything.
His last message on January 8, 2021 reads: “To everyone who asked: I will not be attending the inauguration on January 20.
Smith indicted Trump in June on 37 counts of criminal charges, including obstruction of justice for his handling of the classified material, to which he pleaded not guilty.
In addition, the special counsel has filed federal criminal charges against Trump over his attempts to stay in power after losing the 2020 election.
A grand jury indictment earlier this month charges him with spreading “lies” and “shams” investigations while stirring up an “angry” mob on Jan. 6.
Smith said in a televised public statement following the indictment’s release that the attack on the Capitol was “fueled by lies” by Trump “aimed at impeding the fundamental function of the U.S. government — the national process of collecting , counting and certifying the results of the presidential elections.’
He promised that his agency will lead a “speedy” process.