Billionaire Elon Musk seems to have found a new favorite federal judge: Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas. Musk’s social media company X has filed two major lawsuits against groups he sees as antagonists, and O’Connor is presiding over both of them, even though none of the parties is based in Texas. So far, O’Connor has delivered stunningly pro-Musk decisions, which have gained widespread attention.
What has garnered less attention: O’Connor’s investment in Tesla, between “$15,001 and $50,000” of Tesla stock, according to his most recent publicly available filing . That investment has fueled questions over O’Connor’s fairness as a judge, since the outcome of the suits filed by Musk’s X could impact his business empire. “It is absolutely reasonable to question his impartiality in a case where the party and interest is a principal in a company the judge owns stock in,” said James Sample, a professor who specializes in judicial ethics at Hofstra University’s law school.
Others have questioned whether Musk’s legal team intentionally aimed to take their cases to O’Connor’s court — something known as “forum shopping” — in hopes of a sympathetic outcome. The practice is controversial, but not illegal. Federal rules dictating where a lawsuit can be filed are broad, said Jennifer Ahearn, senior counsel for the Brennan Center's Judiciary Program.
“They’re taking advantage of those openings in a way that is not common,” Ahearn said. “A .