Plus, an RFK Jr. campaign rep says the quiet part out loud
͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌  
͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌   ͏ ‌  
HUFFPOST Fringe
 
 
 
#
 
Elon Musk Didn’t Want His Latest Deposition Released. Here It Is.
 
Elon Musk was deposed last month over his role in allegedly promoting a false conspiracy theory that a 22-year-old Jewish man participated in a neo-Nazi brawl.

Musk tried to keep the deposition from going public, and perhaps for good reason: It did not go well for him.

“There’s some risk that what I say is incorrect, but one has to balance that against having a chilling effect on free speech in general, which would undermine the entire foundation of our democracy,” Musk, the owner of X (formerly Twitter), said during the deposition.

The lawsuit against the billionaire, filed in October, alleges that Musk used his colossal social media platform to amplify a false far-right conspiracy theory linking 22-year-old Ben Brody to a brawl in Oregon between the neo-Nazi group Rose City Nationalists and the Proud Boys, a neo-fascist fight club. The brawl occurred during Oregon City’s first Pride Night Fest, when both groups came to disrupt the event and spew anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.

Brody wasn’t even in the same state when the June 24 brawl occurred. But his world was turned upside down when far-right X accounts, magnified by Musk, falsely identified him as a member of Rose City Nationalists (and an undercover federal agent) and posted his personal information online.

Brody said he and his family were forced to flee their home amid the fallout from Musk’s posts. He’s seeking more than $1 million in damages. The next court hearing is scheduled for April 22.

On March 27, Musk sat for a two-hour deposition with attorneys from both parties over Zoom. Following the testimony, Musk’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, filed multiple emergency motions in an attempt to keep the deposition sealed.

“I’m asking that this transcript be marked as confidential,” Spiro said at the end of Musk’s deposition, according to the transcript. “That’s what I’m asking for, OK?”

Spiro’s efforts failed after a judge struck down his motions. Though video of the deposition has not been made public, HuffPost obtained a copy of the full transcript, which was made public Monday.

 
Read more
 
 
 
 
 
 
What Else Is Happening
 
 
Shortly after the Arizona Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a 150-year-old law criminalizing abortion in the state could be reinstated, the state attorney general pledged not to enforce it. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes minced no words in a statement that denounced the “unconscionable” ruling as “an affront to freedom.” Should the law nevertheless be enacted after its current 14-day stay, it would be among the strictest in the country, banning the procedure in all cases except to save the mother’s life.
 
 
Read More
 
 
What is Hamas thinking now? HuffPost obtained rare interviews with Hamas leaders Mousa Abu Marzouk and Basem Naim, pressing them six months since Oct. 7 on the group's attacks on civilians and its vision for the future of Israel-Palestine.
 
 
Read More
 
 
A representative for Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign admitted in a meeting with New York Republicans what some Democrats have long suspected — that Kennedy’s independent bid is designed to thwart Joe Biden. “The only way for him, for Bobby, to shake it up and to get rid of Biden is if he’s on the ballot in every state, including New York,” Kennedy campaign representative Rita Palmer told a group of New York Republicans, per CNN, which referred to Palmer as the campaign’s New York state director. “The Kennedy voter and the Trump voter, our mutual enemy is Biden.”
 
 
Read More
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Before You Go
 
 
 
 
 
 
The stakes have never been higher
 
As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. A vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why HuffPost's journalism is free for everyone, not just those who can afford expensive paywalls.

We cannot do this without your help. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.
 
Support HuffPost
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
HUFFPOST
 
  Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? — Subscribe here!

©2024 HuffPost
BuzzFeed, Inc, 229 W 43rd St, 10th Floor, New York, NY 10036

You are receiving this email because you signed up for updates from HuffPost.

Feedback | Privacy Policy | Unsubscribe