Judge rules Musk intimidated ex-FEMA CFO Mary Comans, clears her name
Overview
Federal magistrate judge William Fitzpatrick ruled in Virginia that Elon Musk engaged in "state sanctioned intimidation" of former FEMA CFO Mary Comans.
In an order issued Tuesday, Fitzpatrick cleared Comans' name, finding that Musk, then head of DOGE, knew or should have known that the payments he criticized were approved by his subordinates.
The judge wrote that Musk posted a picture of Comans to his millions of followers on X in February 2025 while falsely characterizing her government service as a "criminal action." Fitzpatrick found that Musk, then a special government employee, and other high-ranking officials had engaged in a coordinated public relations campaign to impugn Comans' personal and professional integrity.
CNBC has reached out to Musk and White House attorneys for comment.
Written by AI from the articles below · updated Oct 13, 5:28 PM ET
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- CNBC · TechnologyNewsJudge rules Musk's posts about ex-FEMA CFO Mary Comans were state-sanctioned intimidation
AIA federal magistrate judge in Virginia ruled that Elon Musk engaged in "state sanctioned intimidation" of former FEMA CFO Mary Comans by posting false claims on X in February 2025 that she committed "criminal action." Judge William Fitzpatrick cleared Comans' name in an order issued Tuesday, finding that Musk, then head of DOGE, knew or should have known that the payments he criticized were approved by his subordinates. CNBC has reached out to Musk and White House attorneys for comment.
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