Special counsel Jack Smith’s congressional probe is intensifying after a newly revealed Twitter search warrant showed expansive data on former President Donald Trump’s account was swept up, focusing mounting scrutiny on Smith as he leads explosive investigations.
According to the warrant, as reported by Raw Story on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, as part of an ongoing court battle, Smith’s team secured all content from Trump’s account between October 2020 to January 2021 – including tweets, likes, retweets, drafts, messages and notifications
Over a potentially pivotal period spanning the 2020 election, Capitol attack, and inauguration, Smith now has a sweeping batch of material from one of Trump’s most influential megaphones during his presidency
Eight of the 14 pages of the warrant remain redacted, suggesting investigators may have cast an even wider net than currently known.
The revelations offer a window into how extensively Smith is digging through Trump’s most sensitive communications.
Observers say the controversial haul of presidential communications could fundamentally shape the trajectory and outcomes of Smith probes with profound political and legal ramifications.
“This was among the most prominent political accounts in history, with content reaching hundreds of millions worldwide,” said former federal prosecutor Lily Adrian, explaining why Trump’s tweets and drafts hold enormous evidence value.
“Smith’s investigators clearly see this as an indispensable resource.”
With one investigation focused on Trump’s potential criminal culpability for Jan. 6th, subpoenaed tweets, likes and messages around the violent assault on Congress could contain bombshell evidence solidifying obstruction of Congress charges and other counts.
The second probe centers on classified records taken to Mar-a-Lago, where Twitter draft posts and communications could bolster the inquiry.
Searched activity includes the specific timeframe when 15 boxes of White House materials were moved to Trump’s Florida resort.
The breadth of information obtained has escalated pressure on Smith as he charts fateful decisions over whether to criminally charge an ex-commander-in-chief who has launched another bid for the presidency.
His judgment, discretion, and nonpartisanship face growing scrutiny with Trump’s Twitter archive now squarely at the crux of investigations potentially impacting coming elections.
“Jack Smith has his hands full as he navigates uncharted terrain here,” said Nile Beckford, a researcher at Columbia Law School.
“How he synthesizes this trove and applies his findings will profoundly shape his judgment in history.”
With Trump’s data now in government hands, all eyes are on Jack Smith’s next moves.
