Twitter has been fined $350,000 for belatedly complying with a search warrant issued for former President Donald Trump’s account. The warrant was granted to special counsel Jack Smith as part of his investigation into the events of January 6th, 2020.
Smith obtained the warrant in January, but faced challenges in obtaining the records from Twitter. The company’s website, typically used for law enforcement requests, was reportedly inoperative. After finally serving the warrant, Twitter was slow to respond, leading to a legal battle between the company and the special counsel’s office.
The issue stemmed from a nondisclosure agreement that prevented Twitter from disclosing the existence of the warrant, including to Trump himself. Twitter argued that it had a First Amendment right to notify Trump about the warrant, extending the legal wrangling for months.
Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the government, requiring Twitter to hand over the requested data. However, the company missed a court-ordered deadline for providing all the records, resulting in a contempt charge and a $350,000 fine. Twitter complied with the warrant, but its full cooperation came three days after the deadline.
This legal dispute highlights the significance of Trump’s Twitter account in the events of January 6th. Following his support for the violent mob during the riot, Twitter suspended Trump’s account. Although Elon Musk’s acquisition of the company led to its reinstatement, the former president has yet to return to the platform.
As of now, the company, known as X, has not commented on the matter.
