WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear social media platform X’s appeal of a search warrant obtained by prosecutors in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump.
The company, which was known as Twitter before being acquired by billionaire Elon Musk, is under a secrecy order that prevents special counsel Jack Smith’s team from telling President Trump about the warrant it obtained. It alleges that it violates Article 1 rights.
The company also argues that Trump should have had the opportunity to exercise executive privilege. If unchecked, the government could use similar tactics to violate other privileged communications, lawyers argued.
Two bipartisan electronic privacy groups also weighed in, urging the high court to bring the case under the First Amendment.
But prosecutors argue that executive privilege is not an issue because the company never showed that Trump used the account for official purposes. Lower courts also found that telling Trump could jeopardize an ongoing investigation.
President Trump used his Twitter account to spread false statements about the election in the weeks leading up to his supporters storming the Capitol on January 6, 2021, but prosecutors say the statements were They claim it was intended to sow distrust in the process.
The indictment alleges that President Trump used his Twitter account to urge his followers to come to Washington on January 6, to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to deny certification, and to force rioters at the Capitol to attack police officers. It details how he falsely suggested that he had beaten her and smashed windows. It was peaceful.
The case is now inching forward following a Supreme Court ruling in July granting Trump broad immunity from criminal prosecution as a former president.
The order comes amid rapid changes at Twitter, which Mr. Musk acquired in 2022 and has since laid off much of its staff, including those dedicated to cracking down on misinformation and hate speech. arrived at.
He also welcomed a long list of previously banned users, including Trump, who has endorsed him in the 2024 presidential race.