Special counsel Jack Smith obtained 32 direct messages from the X social media account of former President Donald Trump as part of the federal election subversion investigation, according to newly unsealed court filings.
Smith used a warrant to obtain the messages, which represent a "miniscule proportion" of the total data provided by X, prosecutors said in a filing with the Washington, D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The content of the messages was not immediately known.
Prosecutors also noted in the 71-page document that X "sought to delay compliance with the entirety of the Warrant based on the speculative possibility that a tiny fraction of the total production could, implausibly, contain instances when the President sought to use the direct-messaging function to carry out sensitive and confidential deliberations with trusted advisors within the Executive Branch."
Trump in early August was indicted in connection with his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. He has denied wrongdoing and accused prosecutors of pursuing him in a political witch hunt.
Smith in January sought from X "all content, records, and other information relating to communications sent from or received by" the account from October 2020 to January 2021, including all direct messages. Smith also asked for information about searches that were conducted by the account in that time period, and "all advertising information."
The filing unsealed Friday noted that Trump "propagated false claims of fraud (including swearing to false allegations in a federal court filing), pressured state and federal officials to violate their legal duties, and retaliated against those who did not comply with his demands, culminating in violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6."
"This pattern of obstructive conduct amply supports the district court's conclusion that the former President presents a significant risk of tampering with evidence, seeking to influence or intimidate potential witnesses, and 'otherwise seriously jeopardizing' the Government's ongoing investigations," according to the documents.