NEW: In the Pfizergate latest, the E.U. has provided The New York Times with a fuller description of what happened to text messages exchanged between President von der Leyen and the Pfizer CEO. Newsy stuff. (Gift link, and the doc is embedded) 1/

By way of backstory. @FantaAlexx had records requested these messages and been denied. When @MatinaStevis followed up and was also denied, the NYT took the European Commission to court. A court ruled in the NYT's favor this May.

@FantaAlexx @MatinaStevis The Commission had provided more detail as a result of that ruling. What we now know: - Björn Seibert, von der Leyen's no. 2, read the messages - He decided not to register and retain them - That happened after Alex's first request

@FantaAlexx @MatinaStevis Upshot: 1. These messages existed and officials knew about them (we knew from @MatinaStevis' reporting, but the Commission had been fudgey about this). 2. They were likely lost or deleted. 3. But the decision to not retain them happened after they were a public focal point