Judge denies Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s request to delay Twitter trial, but will allow use of whistle-blower claims
- Twitter sued Musk, asking the Delaware court to force him to go through with the deal he made in April to buy the company. A trial is set for October 17
- Musk’s legal team has argued allegations made by Peiter Zatko to US officials may help bolster the Tesla CEO’s claims that Twitter misled him
“I am convinced that even four weeks’ delay would risk further harm to Twitter,” wrote Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick of Delaware’s Court of Chancery, in affirming the trial will start next month.
Shares of Twitter rose about 4 per cent in early Wednesday trading to US$40.15.
“We are hopeful that winning the motion to amend takes us one step closer to the truth coming out in that courtroom,” said Alex Spiro, a lawyer for Musk, in a statement.
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Musk’s legal team argued on Tuesday that justice demanded delaying the five-day trial so Musk could investigate claims by whistle-blower Peiter Zatko, known as “Mudge”, that Twitter hid weaknesses in its security and data privacy.
Musk’s initial case against Twitter claimed the company misrepresented the prevalence of spam or bot accounts on the platform.
Last month, Zatko’s allegations became public and provided Musk, the world’s richest person, fresh ammunition to bolster what legal experts said was a long shot attempt to walk away without paying a US$1 billion termination fee.
“We look forward to presenting our case in court beginning on October 17th and intend to close the transaction on the price and terms agreed upon with Mr. Musk,” said a statement from Twitter spokesman.
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At Tuesday’s hearing, Twitter’s lawyer read a message from Musk that came to light during the litigation that the lawyer said showed the billionaire was not actually concerned about spam accounts.
The deal contract allows Musk to walk away under certain narrow conditions, although a war is specifically excluded.
Additional reporting by Associated Press