The Trump administration subpoenaed Twitter for information on who was operating an account parodying Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), a close ally of the former president, according to court documents unsealed on Monday.
A federal judge unsealed a motion from Twitter filed on March 10 to quash the subpoena that was issued in November. In the filing, Twitter argued it was concerned the government was aiding Nunes’s legal efforts to attack and unmask his online critics and said the subpoena violated the First Amendment.
“It appears to Twitter that the Subpoena may be related to Congressman Devin Nunes’s repeated efforts to unmask individuals behind parody accounts critical of him,” the motion reads. “His efforts to suppress critical speech are as well-publicized as they are unsuccessful.”
The subpoena sought identifying information from Twitter about the account @NunesAlt. There is little public information about the court proceedings around the subpoena. It’s not clear whether Twitter ever complied with the demand or if it was ultimately quashed by a federal judge.
It’s also unclear if the Biden administration’s Justice Department stood by the subpoena after Trump left office. A Justice Department spokeswoman did not immediately respond when asked for comment on Monday.
According to the unsealed motion, the subpoena was issued along with a gag order prohibiting Twitter from revealing or talking about the document.
“Twitter is committed to protecting the freedom of expression for those who use our service,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement Monday. “We have a strong track record and take seriously the trust placed in us to work to protect the private information of the people on Twitter.”
Twitter declined to say whether it had complied with the subpoena.
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The account criticized the subpoena in a post Monday afternoon that included a link to a fundraiser for its legal efforts to fight Nunes’ various lawsuits.
“There’s nothing remarkable about me,” the tweet reads. “I’m a basic smartass with a Twitter account. So then why am I being sued by a US congressman? Why would the DOJ ever target me? Is it the mean tweets and bad memes? It’s not about me or this silly account. It’s about silencing all of us.”
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Trump DOJ subpoenaed Twitter for identity behind Nunes parody account https://t.co/xrswZQA5SP pic.twitter.com/9a4jWSzDub
— The Hill (@thehill) May 18, 2021
This was just unsealed. In the last weeks of the Trump administration, William Barr's Justice Department tried to use a secret grand jury subpoena to unmask @NunesAlt, a Devin Nunes parody account. https://t.co/ENc4oiUV0f
— kpoulsen (@kpoulsen) May 17, 2021
DoJ also got a gag order, claiming that disclosure of the subpoena would likely "result in flight from prosecution, destruction of or tampering with evidence, intimidation of potential witnesses, and serious jeopardy to the investigation" of the Nunes parody account. pic.twitter.com/nc0BHx2hhl
— kpoulsen (@kpoulsen) May 17, 2021
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