By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell book
BBC - CIA Trial book - NY Mag Pearl St Video
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Sept 14 – In the US v. Trevor Milton of Nikola trial, the morning after "Nikola Insider" Paul Lackey quoted Milton that "I don't give a sh*t about the environment," he was cross examined. Inner City Press was there. Thread:
Jury entering!
Judge Ramos: Mr. Lackey, I remind you that you are under oath.
Mr. Caruso?
Milton's lawyer Ken Caruso: You tried to you your knowledge to make money, right?
Lackey: No, that's not why I did it. Caruso: You were a whistleblower to the SEC, right?
Lackey: Yes, I filed. Caruso: And you stand to make more than the $600,000 you already made, right? Lackey: I might. Caruso: You have a lawyer representing you, who was in the courtroom yesterday, right? Lackey: Yes, he's here.
Caruso: Did he speak to you about your testimony? Lackey: I don't want to get into my talks with my lawyer. Caruso: But you were speaking -- AUSA: Objection! Judge Ramos: Sustained.
Caruso: Look at this email, from your lawyer to the US Attorney's Office. Lackey: This is the 1st time I'm seeing this. Caruso: How much did Hildenburg [Research] make? Lackey: I don't know.
Caruso: But you obtained a portion by buying it, right?
Lackey: I suppose
Caruso: The $600,000 you got is a lot of money, right? Lackey: I'm not sure it's a lot of money in this room. But it was a blessing to me. Caruso: You worked for EVdrive in 2015, right, as a contractor for Nikola. right? Lackey: Yes.
Caruso: Later you set up an anonymous Twitter account, right? Lackey: It was anonymous at first. Caruso: You tweeted up a storm, didn't you? Lackey: I tweeted. Caruso: Two thousand, right? Lackey: I guess. Caruso: But you were really a Nikola OUTSIDER, right?
Caruso: You used a hashtag #NKLA, right? Lackey: I did. Caruso: Also NKLAQ? Lackey: People use that to have skepticism for a company, is my understanding.
Caruso: Yesterday you said Trevor Milton said, "I don't give a sh*t about the environment," only about money. The vulgarity shocked you, right? Lackey: It was more than the profanity. It was shocking. [Now there is a whispered sidebar]
Caruso: There's an exhibit we want to put in. Judge Ramos: Show the government and we'll go from there. Caruso returned with video of Milton bragging about Nikola 2, a truck without a sleeper
Caruso: The footage of the truck rolling down the hill, it was a Phillips commercial right? Lackey: No, it was different. Caruso: We'd like to play the Phillips commercial. AUSA: May we be heard at sidebar? Whispered sidebar starts.
Phillips commercial is played, with the money lines: What kinds of parts do you use? Phillips. Well at least that hasn't changed. [Caruso walks over to confer with Mukasey. Then:]
Caruso: I have no further questions.
Judge Ramos: Re-direct. AUSA: Have you ever said, I don't give a sh*t about the environment?
Lackey: Never. I do care about the environment. But Mr. Milton said it to me the first day I met him. I had assumed we were doing this stuff to help climate change.
The case is US v. Milton, 21-cr-478 (Ramos)
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