A legal tug-of-war surrounding Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, took another twist as a second federal judge in Texas recused themselves from a high-profile lawsuit. The case involves allegations that major advertisers conspired to boycott the platform, formerly known as Twitter, following Musk’s acquisition in 2022.
U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade, based in Dallas, unexpectedly withdrew from overseeing the case, as revealed in a court filing made public on Thursday. Judge Jane Boyle, also from Dallas, has now been tapped to preside over the matter, along with a related case involving the video-sharing platform Rumble. The reasons for Kinkeade’s withdrawal remain undisclosed, adding an air of intrigue to an already contentious legal battle.
The lawsuit, filed by X in August, claims that the World Federation of Advertisers and a coalition of prominent companies orchestrated a boycott, severely impacting the platform’s revenue. While X, the defendants, and the judges involved have refrained from commenting on recent developments, the absence of formal responses from the advertisers accused has kept speculation rife.
This is not the first judicial recusal in the case. Previously, U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor stepped aside in August after reports emerged that he owned shares in Tesla, another of Musk’s ventures. Like Kinkeade, O’Connor offered no explanation for his decision.
The lawsuit was strategically filed in Texas’s Northern District, a jurisdiction known for its appeal among conservative litigants. The region now serves as a focal point for X’s legal maneuvers, with Musk having relocated the company’s headquarters from San Francisco to Bastrop, Texas, earlier this year.
As the reshuffling of judges continues, the legal skirmish underscores the complexities of Musk’s battles to secure the financial stability of his ambitious social media enterprise.
This rewritten version maintains the essence of the original story while adopting a distinct style and excluding references to authorship, competitors, and extraneous sections.
