Twitter Says Feds Are Probing Elon Musk

Social network says investigation relates to Musk's proposed acquisition
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 14, 2022 12:18 AM CDT
Twitter Says Feds Are Probing Elon Musk
Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington on March 9, 2020.   (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

According to Twitter, a federal investigation into Elon Musk is underway, related to his planned acquisition of Twitter. The social media company made the assertion in a court filing Thursday, CNN reports. It's not clear what, exactly, might be under investigation, nor which agencies might be involved. Musk first proposed the deal in April, tried to cancel it starting in July, then revived it last week. Most recently, legal proceedings in the matter were paused until Oct. 28 at Musk's request. "Elon Musk is presently under investigation by federal authorities for his conduct in connection with the acquisition of Twitter,” Twitter lawyers wrote in the filing. "Through counsel, he has exchanged substantive correspondence with those authorities concerning their investigations."

In response to the filing, a lawyer for Musk said Twitter is simply trying to divert attention from its own legal issues regarding a former security chief for the company, who came forward with a whistleblower accusation regarding alleged security vulnerabilities at the social network. "Twitter’s executives are under federal investigation," Musk's attorney says. "This misdirection was sent by Twitter to try and uncover which of their assorted misconduct they are under investigation for." Twitter's court filing, which is part of the ongoing legal back-and-forth around the will-he-or-won't-he deal uncertainty, also alleges that Musk's legal team has for months failed to produce documents related to the alleged federal investigation, CNBC reports. "This game of 'hide the ball' must end," Twitter's lawyers write. (More Elon Musk stories.)

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