Musk can use whistleblower claims, but judge won’t delay Twitter trial

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WILMINGTON, Del. (Reuters) -A Delaware judge granted on Wednesday Elon Musk’s request to add whistleblower claims to his Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) countersuit but denied the billionaire’s request to delay the trial over Musk’s bid to walk away from his $44 billion deal for the company, according to a court order.

“I am convinced that even four weeks’ delay would risk further harm to Twitter,” wrote Chancellor Kathaleen McCormick (NYSE:MKC) of Delaware’s Court of Chancery.

Musk’s legal team argued in court on Tuesday that justice demanded delaying the five-day trial, currently scheduled to begin Oct. 17, so he could investigate allegations that Twitter had misrepresented its data security.

Last month, whistleblower allegations became public that provided Musk, the world’s richest person, fresh ammunition to bolster what legal experts said was a long-shot attempt to walk away from the deal without paying a $1 billion termination fee.

Twitter’s former head of security, Peiter Zatko, a famed hacker known as “Mudge,” said in a complaint to regulators that the company falsely represented that it had a solid data security plan.

Twitter has sued Musk to hold him to his April agreement to buy the company for $54.20 per share.