(InformingNews.com) – In 2018, Elon Musk reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to settle some civil securities charges against him. The deal gave the SEC oversight of his communications, but Musk now says the agency is violating his right to free speech.
In a court document filed on February 17, Musk’s attorney, Alex Spiro, said the CEO thought the settlement would end his issues with the SEC but contends the commission broke its word. He alleges the agency used its control over Musk’s communications as a way to continue harassing him.
Tesla CEO Musk accuses SEC of calculated effort to "chill" his right to free speech https://t.co/r3U3KIT3xX
— CNBC (@CNBC) February 17, 2022
Musk accuses the SEC of misconduct for not paying the agreed-upon $40 million to Tesla shareholders and continuing groundless investigations against him. The CEO feels the agency is harassing him because he speaks out against the US government — a move Musk sees as a violation of his First Amendment right to free speech.
He’s asking the court to order an end to the SEC’s baseless investigations and require the agency to deliver the money to the shareholders as stated in the settlement.
The SEC did not respond to media requests for a reaction to the lawsuit.
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