Feds Want Judge To Force Elon Musk To Testify About Twitter Purchase After Billionaire Failed To Appear
deadline.comThe Securities and Exchange Commission wants a word with Elon Musk. The agency has asked a federal judge in San Francisco to compel the billionaire social media honcho to testify in its investigation of Musk’s 2022 purchase of Twitter (now X).
The filing in U.S. District Court notes that he “failed to appear for testimony on September 15, 2023, as required by the investigative subpoena served by the SEC.” According to today’s filing (read it here): “Instead, two days before his scheduled testimony, Musk abruptly notified the SEC staff that he would not appear.
Musk attempted to justify his refusal to comply with the subpoena by raising, for the first time, several spurious objections, including an objection to San Francisco as an appropriate testimony location.” The testimony subpoena relates to the SEC’s investigation launched in April 2022 into potential violations of various provisions of federal securities laws in connection with Musk’s 2022 purchases of Twitter stock, and his 2022 statements and SEC filings relating to the social media giant.
According to the filing, the SEC “seeks Musk’s testimony to obtain information not already in the SEC’s possession that is relevant to its legitimate and lawful investigation.” RELATED: Twitter CEO Linda Yaccarino Defends Elon Musk, Asks Who Wouldn’t Want Him “Sitting By Their Side?” Musk appeared for half-day sessions of testimony to the SEC by videoconference twice during July 2022.
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