Judge probes whether Musk settlement with Trump admin is tainted by corruption
Judge probes whether Musk settlement with Trump admin is tainted by corruption
法官调查马斯克与特朗普政府达成的和解协议是否存在腐败嫌疑
A federal judge reportedly said she will not rubber-stamp a settlement between Elon Musk and the Securities and Exchange Commission, saying the deal raises red flags and needs scrutiny over whether Musk is getting special treatment from the Trump administration. 据报道，一位联邦法官表示，她不会对埃隆·马斯克（Elon Musk）与美国证券交易委员会（SEC）达成的和解协议进行“橡皮图章”式的批准。她指出，该协议存在诸多疑点，需要审查马斯克是否在特朗普政府的干预下获得了特殊待遇。
As we reported last week, the Trump administration agreed to let Musk pay a $1.5 million fine to settle a lawsuit that originally sought at least $150 million. In 2022, before buying Twitter outright, Musk purchased a 9 percent stake in the social network and failed to disclose it within 10 days as required under US law. The SEC lawsuit filed during the Biden administration said the late disclosure allowed Musk to keep buying shares at artificially low prices and underpay shareholders by at least $150 million. 正如我们上周报道的那样，特朗普政府同意让马斯克支付150万美元的罚款，以了结一桩最初索赔金额至少为1.5亿美元的诉讼。2022年，在全资收购Twitter之前，马斯克购入了该社交网络9%的股份，但未按美国法律要求在10天内进行披露。拜登政府时期提起的SEC诉讼称，这一延迟披露行为使马斯克能够持续以人为压低的价格购买股票，并导致股东损失至少1.5亿美元。
Under the settlement with the SEC, a trust in Musk’s name would pay a $1.5 million civil penalty to the government and not admit that Musk committed any violation. The deal requires court approval, and Judge Sparkle Sooknanan expressed skepticism at a hearing yesterday in US District Court for the District of Columbia. 根据与SEC达成的和解协议，一个以马斯克名义设立的信托基金将向政府支付150万美元的民事罚款，且无需承认马斯克有任何违规行为。该协议需要法院批准，但在昨天于哥伦比亚特区美国地方法院举行的听证会上，斯帕克尔·苏克纳南（Sparkle Sooknanan）法官表达了质疑。
“I am not going to rubber-stamp this settlement, and I cannot rubber-stamp this settlement,” the judge said, Bloomberg reported. “Is Mr. Musk getting some kind of special treatment in this case?” Sooknanan was also quoted as saying. 据彭博社报道，法官表示：“我不会对这份和解协议进行‘橡皮图章’式的批准，我也不能这样做。”据引述，苏克纳南还问道：“马斯克先生在本案中是否获得了某种特殊待遇？”
Sooknanan said that dropping the demand for $150 million and imposing the settlement terms on a trust instead of Musk himself are both “red flags,” a Reuters report said. “Sooknanan also noted that SEC lawyers at a prior hearing to discuss the case had appeared surprised when lawyers for Musk revealed that they had been in settlement talks with the agency,” Reuters reported. Sooknanan called that fact another red flag. 路透社报道称，苏克纳南表示，放弃1.5亿美元的索赔要求，并将和解条款强加给一个信托基金而非马斯克本人，这两点都是“危险信号”。路透社还报道称：“苏克纳南指出，在之前讨论此案的听证会上，当马斯克的律师透露他们一直在与SEC进行和解谈判时，SEC的律师似乎感到很惊讶。”苏克纳南称这一事实是另一个危险信号。
Musk, SEC ordered to answer questions
马斯克与SEC被要求回答质询
After yesterday’s hearing, Sooknanan issued a short order telling attorneys for Musk and the SEC to submit a brief by June 1 “addressing the Court’s questions as stated on the record at today’s hearing.” Bloomberg’s report said Sooknanan told attorneys that the brief should explain “how the parties reached the deal, including why the proposed settlement involves a trust tied to Musk instead of the billionaire himself.” 在昨天的听证会后，苏克纳南发布了一项简短命令，要求马斯克和SEC的律师在6月1日前提交一份简报，“回应法院在今日听证会记录中提出的问题”。据彭博社报道，苏克纳南告诉律师，简报应解释“双方是如何达成协议的，包括为什么拟议的和解方案涉及一个与马斯克挂钩的信托基金，而不是这位亿万富翁本人”。
SEC attorney Nicholas Grippo told the judge, “These are important, fair questions. Happy to answer them,” according to Bloomberg. 据彭博社报道，SEC律师尼古拉斯·格里波（Nicholas Grippo）对法官表示：“这些都是重要且公正的问题，我们很乐意回答。”
The SEC historically operated with independence from the White House until Trump issued an executive order declaring that independent agencies must take orders from the president. In a previous order last week, Sooknanan said that precedents require the court to consider whether “the settlement is fair, adequate, reasonable and appropriate under the particular facts,” “whether it resolves the claims in the complaint, and whether it was tainted by improper collusion or corruption.” SEC历史上一直独立于白宫运作，直到特朗普发布行政命令，宣布独立机构必须听命于总统。在上一周的一项命令中，苏克纳南表示，先例要求法院考虑“该和解协议在具体事实下是否公平、充分、合理且适当”，“它是否解决了诉状中的诉求，以及它是否受到不正当勾结或腐败的影响”。
The SEC filed the lawsuit in January 2025 with only days remaining in the Biden presidency. In December 2024, SEC attorneys reportedly asked Musk to pay over $200 million to settle the allegations. The disclosure rule that Musk was accused of violating is enforced under a “strict liability” standard, meaning that it doesn’t matter whether a rule violation was intentional or inadvertent. Musk unsuccessfully tried to get the lawsuit moved to a Texas court, and Sooknanan rejected his motion to dismiss the case in February 2026. SEC于2025年1月提起诉讼，当时拜登总统任期仅剩几天。据报道，2024年12月，SEC律师曾要求马斯克支付超过2亿美元以了结指控。马斯克被指控违反的披露规则是根据“严格责任”标准执行的，这意味着无论违规行为是有意还是无意，都必须承担责任。马斯克曾试图将诉讼移交至德克萨斯州法院，但未获成功；2026年2月，苏克纳南驳回了他撤销此案的动议。