Judge Recuses Himself from Musk's Ad Boycott Lawsuit Due to Tesla Shares

A federal judge in Texas, Reed O'Connor, recused himself from a lawsuit involving Elon Musk's social media platform X and a group of advertisers. The recusal followed reports that O'Connor owned Tesla shares, raising concerns about a conflict of interest. The lawsuit accuses the World Federation of Advertisers of conspiring to boycott the platform.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, has stepped down from presiding over a lawsuit filed by Elon Musk's social media platform X against a group of advertisers. This decision comes after reports surfaced that O'Connor owns shares in Tesla, another company under Musk's purview.

O'Connor did not specify a reason for his recusal in his brief one-paragraph filing. The lawsuit, initiated by X just last week, accuses the World Federation of Advertisers and other entities of orchestrating a boycott against the platform, resulting in significant revenue losses. While the Federation has yet to respond in court, they declined to comment.

Financial documents from 2022 revealed that O'Connor's holdings in Tesla range between $15,001 and $50,000. Judges often recuse themselves from cases where they hold a financial interest in one of the involved parties. Judge Ed Kinkeade in Dallas has now been assigned to the case.

(With inputs from agencies.)