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Pa. Attorney General Tom Corbett subpoenas Twitter to unveil critics

Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, who won Tuesday’s primary to become the Commonwealth’s Republican candidate for governor, has subpoenaed Twitter for a Grand Jury, in which the company will be compelled to “testify and give evidence regarding alleged violations of the laws of Pennsylvania, ” reports Tech Crunch. The subpoena calls for Twitter to release “any […]

Tom Corbett for election coverage 2008. Christine Baker, The Patriot-News Tom Corbett for election coverage 2008. Christine Baker, The Patriot-News


Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett, who won Tuesday’s primary to become the Commonwealth’s Republican candidate for governor, has subpoenaed Twitter for a Grand Jury, in which the company will be compelled to “testify and give evidence regarding alleged violations of the laws of Pennsylvania, ” reports Tech Crunch.
The subpoena calls for Twitter to release “any and all subscriber information” of those managing two accounts – @bfbarbie and @CasaBlancaPA – who Tech Crunch reports “have been anonymously criticizing the man on the popular micro-sharing service.
Wired reports that the @CasaBlancaPA user, who writes under the pen name Signor Ferrari, will challenge the subpoena under First Amendment rights. The @bfbarbie seems to have declared the same.
Examples of the critical tweets can be seen here and here.
Corbett’s call comes three months after two Philadelphia City Councilmen intimated their intentions to sue Twitter and Facebook over their alleged role in a chaotic Market East flash mob. Neither Frank DiCicco nor James Kenney followed through on the threat.

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