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Judge warns Trump could escape if he discovers secret order.

Federal Judge Claims Trump Might Flee if He Learns of Secret Warrant

A federal judge has​ recently revealed ⁢that former President Donald Trump could potentially flee if he were to‌ discover a secret⁤ warrant against him. The judge, ‌Beryl ​Howell, stated that immediate‍ notification of the warrant to Trump would seriously⁣ jeopardize the‌ ongoing investigation. ⁤This disclosure would provide him with an ⁤opportunity to ‍destroy ‍evidence, alter his ‌behavior, inform his associates, and potentially escape prosecution. The revelation came from a⁢ filing by Twitter, which was unsealed by Judge Howell on August 15.

Judge Howell, who was‍ appointed⁣ under President Barack Obama, issued the non-disclosure order at the request of special counsel Jack Smith’s ‍team.

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President Trump’s lawyers have ⁣not‍ responded to ⁣requests for comment​ regarding this matter.

The‌ non-disclosure‌ order prevented Twitter, ‌now known as X, from informing President Trump about the warrant. As a result, Twitter was compelled to ⁣provide ‍extensive data from ​Trump’s⁢ account to Mr.⁢ Smith’s‌ team.

In a filing unsealed ‌this week, Mr. Smith’s team argued that the court should⁢ approve the non-disclosure order due to‌ the⁢ potential risk of Trump attempting to flee if the order was ‌not in place.

Keeping the warrant secret “furthers several additional‌ governmental interests, including (1) ‘prevent[ing] the escape’ of individuals​ who may be indicted,” Mr. ​Smith’s team claimed.

Twitter, however, ‌objected to these claims, stating that there was no reason to believe⁢ that‍ notifying Trump about ⁣the warrant would lead to ⁤the destruction of‌ evidence,‌ witness intimidation,​ or ⁢an ‍attempt ‍to⁤ flee prosecution.

In a filing on‌ February 2, Twitter’s lawyers argued, “The former President has announced that‍ he is running for re-election⁤ in​ 2024, which renders it highly implausible that he ‍will attempt to flee the ⁢country, and even more unlikely that such flight​ would be precipitated by⁤ this specific warrant.”

During a hearing on February 7, Judge Howell acknowledged ​Twitter’s concerns and expressed her⁤ understanding of their desire to modify the non-disclosure order to remove the “potential risk of flight by the president.”

Prosecutors ‌later admitted their error in including ‌the flight risk claim and sought to‍ strike ‍that language from​ the non-disclosure order.

Portions‍ of Judge Howell’s order were previously made ⁣public by an appeals court, which supported her decision to approve the warrant ​and order.

Warrant Approved, Reaffirmed

The warrant was approved‌ on‍ January 17, the ⁤same ​day it was ‌requested. Judge⁤ Howell⁢ also entered the non-disclosure order on⁤ that day, which was subsequently challenged by Twitter.

Mr. Smith obtained the warrant as ‌part of ⁤his investigation into ⁤President Trump’s efforts to investigate the 2020 presidential​ election. Charges, including conspiracy and obstruction, have since been brought against the former president ‌by Mr. Smith.

Twitter argued that it‌ should be allowed to notify President Trump about the‍ warrant, as⁤ it may involve executive privilege​ issues. ⁢The data⁤ requested by the warrant⁣ allegedly includes “confidential communications” between Trump and senior advisers. Twitter‌ believed ⁤that informing Trump ⁢would enable him to challenge ⁤the warrant,​ citing the⁤ First Amendment‌ of the U.S. Constitution.

Government lawyers countered by stating that there ‍was no evidence ⁣of confidential communications ⁢among the data sought. They ‍argued that the government’s ‍compelling interest in keeping⁢ the warrant secret from Trump ‍outweighed any rights of Twitter. ‌Judge Howell ultimately sided with‍ the government and ordered Twitter to comply‌ with the warrant.



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