Tesla Investors Are Seeking to Subpoena Grimes and Azealia Banks in Elon Musk ‘420’ Tweet Lawsuit

In August of last year, Elon Musk made an ill-advised joke on Twitter that resulted in him getting sued by the Securities Exchange Commission. “Am considering taking Tesla private at $420. Funding secured,” he wrote. Musk had reportedly never talked with any funding sources about a going-private transaction, and as such, the SEC took issue with the tweet for perpetuating “false and misleading statements.” Now, Bloomberg reports that Tesla investors are seeking to subpoena Grimes and Azealia Banks, who have both recently been mainstays in Musk’s orbit. 

Tesla shareholders say that Grimes, who was dating Musk at the time, could possible have some knowledge into what Musk was thinking when he made the tweet. The investors also want to speak with Banks, who claimed to be at Musk’s household when she was in Los Angeles to work on music with Grimes. Not only that, but they want to subpoena the New York Times, Gizmodo, and Business Insider, because they previously interviewed Musk and Banks.

Musk’s atttorney, Dean Kristy, said of the subpoena requests, “It is readily apparent that this is more of an effort to sensationalize these proceedings than a legitimate attempt to preserve evidence.” Musk reportedly isn’t fond of the idea of bringing his then-girlfriend into the lawsuit. “Indeed, every defendant in every securities class action has a spouse, significant other and friends, but that does not justify the discovery of them,” Kristy added. 

In the month following the tweet, Elon musk was forced to step down as a Tesla chairman, and had to pay a $20 million fine.