Republican lawmakers served Twitter with a formal request to preserve 'all records and materials' relating to Elon Musk's $43 billion takeover bid

• Republican lawmakers asked Twitter's board to keep communications relating to Elon Musk's takeover bid.
• In a letter shared with CNBC, they said decisions about Twitter's governance impacted free expression.

Republican lawmakers have served Twitter with a formal request to preserve all communications relating to Elon Musk's $43 billion takeover offer.

In a letter to Twitter board members Friday, shared with CNBC, 18 Republicans from the House Judiciary Committee ask the company to "preserve all records and materials relating to Musk's offer to purchase Twitter."

Republican politicians have long accused Twitter and other Big Tech companies of anti-conservative bias, claiming they are more likely to censor posts voicing conservative viewpoints. Friday's letter from the Republicans to Twitter's board says: "Free speech online is under attack by Big Tech."

The letter says: "As Congress continues to examine Big Tech and how to best protect Americans' free speech rights, this letter serves as a formal request that you preserve all records and materials relating to Musk's offer to purchase Twitter, including Twitter's consideration and response to this offer, and Twitter's evaluation of its shareholder interests with respect to Musk's offer."

It continues: "Decisions regarding Twitter's future governance will undoubtedly be consequential for public discourse in the United States and could give rise to renewed efforts to legislate in furtherance of preserving free expression online."

The Republicans add in their letter that the board's reactions to Elon Musk's offer to purchase Twitter, and outsider opposition to Musk's role in Twitter's future, were "concerning."

Musk's offer to buy Twitter was initially met with resistance by the company's board but three outlets reported Sunday that Twitter had entered into negotiations with Musk about a deal. The billionaire said last week he had secured $46.5 billion in financing for his proposed takeover.

Musk said earlier in a regulatory filing that his attempt to acquire Twitter was inspired by a desire to preserve "free speech" on the platform.

Twitter did not immediately respond when contacted by Insider about the letters. The company declined to comment when contacted by CNBC.