Afternoon Briefs: Judge denies QAnon connection; investors sue over 'Voltswagen' prank press release
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Pennsylvania judge denies any QAnon connection
A Philadelphia judge running for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is denying any connection to QAnon and its conspiracy theories. Judge Paula Patrick told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she hadn’t even heard of an upcoming event staged by QAnon supporters, even though she was listed as a speaker. She previously sat for a podcast interview with event organizers but said she thought she was appearing on a show aimed at a Christian audience. (The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Associated Press)
Investors sue Volkswagen over prank press release
Volkswagen is facing an investor lawsuit alleging that a prank press release affected share prices. The press release, posted before April Fool’s Day, said Volkswagen was changing its name to “Voltswagen” to call attention to its investment in electric vehicles. News articles noting the release said corporate insiders had confirmed the name change. The company also tweeted news of the name change March 30 but later confirmed the joke. The suit said share prices increased after the fake press release and then dropped when the prank was revealed. (Law.com, Law360)
Judge resigns to ‘stop being terrorized’ by judicial commission
Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Melanie Andress-Tobiasson said she is stepping down from the bench to “stop being terrorized” by the Nevada Judicial Discipline Commission. Andress-Tobiasson was facing a commission ethics complaint stemming from her own personal investigation of possible sex trafficking at a hip-hop clothing store where her daughter worked and a double murder that she thought involved her daughter’s acquaintance. “I made the decision to resign rather than continue to fight the JDC for many reasons, but mostly because I need to take control of my life and stop allowing them to control it,” Andress-Tobiasson told the Nevada Current. She said she has spent about $600,000 on attorney fees in the ethics investigation. (The Nevada Current, the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
