- After initially declining to comment, a Tesla spokesperson said the inquiry was voluntary request and not a formal subpoena.
- Shares of the electric-car company sharply fell as much as 6% following the report, but are now down less than 3%.
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Tesla slides after report says US has launched a criminal probe over Elon Musk's statements (TSLA)
The criminal probe comes one month after federal prosecutors also opened a fraud investigation relating to the billionaire's claims that funding had been secured to take Tesla private at $420 per share.
Tesla shares fell as much as 6% Tuesday after Bloomberg News reported the company was under investigation by the US Department of Justice over CEO Elon Musk's public statements, citing two sources familiar with the matter. Tesla has denied the report was a formal subpeona, saying it was a voluntary request, and shares now down less than 3%.
The criminal probe comes one month after federal prosecutors also opened a fraud investigation relating to the Musk's claims that funding had been secured to take Tesla private at $420 per share. Musk later explained in a blog post that the tweet came after a meeting with Saudi Arabian investors who left him feeling that "no other decision makers were needed and that they were eager to proceed."
The new criminal inquiry is in the early stages, Bloomberg said, adding that enforcement actions can take months to materialize. The US attorney's office in the Northern District of California did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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In a statement to Business Insider following the initial report, a Tesla representative said it had received a voluntary request for information from the Justice Department, and not a subpoena.
Tesla's stock price initially flew as high as $389 per share following the go-private announcement by Musk in August, but has since sank as low as $244 as a slew of investor lawsuits and regulator investigations piled up.
Mark Matousek assisted with reporting.
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