Judge Dismisses SEC Request to Sanction Elon Musk Over Missed Deposition

Elon Musk avoided penalties after complying with a court order to testify and reimbursing the SEC for travel costs related to a skipped deposition.

U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled sanctions against Elon Musk were unnecessary after he testified on October 3 and reimbursed the SEC $2,923 for travel expenses.
The SEC had sought penalties for Musk's failure to attend a September 10 deposition, claiming reimbursement alone was insufficient to deter noncompliance with court orders.
Musk's legal team argued his absence was justified by his obligations overseeing SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission in Florida on the same date.
The SEC is investigating whether Musk violated securities laws by delaying disclosure of his Twitter stock purchases in early 2022, potentially allowing him to buy shares at lower prices.
This case adds to Musk's history of legal disputes with the SEC, including a 2018 settlement over tweets about taking Tesla private.