- The Washington Times - Wednesday, May 15, 2024

A federal court on Tuesday issued an order for X owner Elon Musk to testify in a Securities and Exchange Commission probe into the billionaire’s acquisition of the social media site. 

This is the second time this year a federal judge has ruled that Mr. Musk must testify in the investigation. In February, Magistrate Judge Laurel Beeler said the SEC could compel Mr. Musk to testify. 

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley affirmed Judge Beeler’s decision, saying Mr. Musk had not proved that the subpoenas issued by the SEC were unreasonable. 

The SEC sued Mr. Musk in October after the X owner failed to appear for an interview scheduled in September. 

The probe dates back to when Mr. Musk acquired the social media platform known as Twitter. The SEC is investigating if he broke federal securities laws during the acquisition in late 2022. 

Mr. Musk initially cooperated with the commission, sitting down for two days of interviews and handing over documents. After that, when the SEC sent more subpoenas, he accused the commission of harassing him. 

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.

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