Elon Musk’s attempt to overturn a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that mandates he obtain legal counsel before publishing some Tesla-related content has been denied by the US Supreme Court.
The businessman and investor claimed in his appeal that his First Amendment rights were violated by a consent agreement with the SEC, but the Supreme Court has decided not to take the case.
Musk tried to have the agreement, which forced him to pay fines, resign from Tesla’s board, and have his tweets pre-screened by a lawyer, struck down.
The settlement compelled him to “give up his First Amendment rights to speak on matters ranging far beyond the charged violations,” according to his appeal.
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Musk further asserted that he was subjected to “economic duress” in order to consent to the settlement, which he saw as an attempt to “muzzle and harass” him and his business.
Ars Technica says that the conservative-majority court took a break from debating whether US Presidents should be above the law to rule on Musk’s request.
Their refusal to hear the billionaire’s appeal upholds an appeals court decision from the previous year that severely limited the founder of Tesla’s claims of victimization.
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