No judge with Tesla stock should handle Elon Musk cases, watchdog argues
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Elon Musk's fight against Media Matters for America (MMFA)-a watchdog organization that he largely blames for an ad boycott that tanked Twitter/X's revenue-has raised an interesting question about whether any judge owning Tesla stock might reasonably be considered biased when weighing any lawsuit centered on the tech billionaire.
In a court filing Monday, MMFA lawyers argued that "undisputed facts-including statements from Musk and Tesla-lay bare the interest Tesla shareholders have in this case." According to the watchdog, any outcome in the litigation will likely impact Tesla's finances, and that's a problem because there's a possibility that the judge in the case, Reed O'Connor, owns Tesla stock.
"X cannot dispute the public association between Musk-his persona, business practices, and public remarks-and the Tesla brand," MMFA argued. "That association would lead a reasonable observer to 'harbor doubts' about whether a judge with a financial interest in Muskcould impartially adjudicate this case."