Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Convicted of Securities Fraud https://www.wsj.com/articles/nikola-founder-trevor-milton-convicted-of-securities-fraud-11665779578
"Among the misrepresentations cited by prosecutors in the trial were Mr. Milton describing an undrivable prototype to a crowd as “fully-functioning” and saying that Nikola was producing hydrogen fuel at a cost of $4 per kilogram when it cost other companies much more. In fact, Nikola wasn’t producing any hydrogen fuel at all, prosecutors said.
Mr. Milton’s lawyers said the Nikola founder acted in good faith and argued that the government had cherry-picked portions of his public statements."
Is this cherry picking?
"It is a distortion to say that Trevor Milton intended to commit fraud,” defense attorney Mr. Mukasey said during his closing argument. He said Mr. Milton’s statements were supported by those around him and cheered on by his leadership team, adding that important facts about Nikola’s business were fully disclosed to investors. It’s not a crime to use special effects in a commercial,” he said of the Nikola One video. “Otherwise the government would have to indict the Energizer Bunny.” "
What is the line between special effects and blatant lying? Matter of fact, is special effects ok when the purpose is to mislead? Put another way blatant lying can be euphemistically said to be special effects or "alternate reality" as we say in the context of Trump.
“If someone wanted to commit fraud,” he said, “they would do it behind closed doors.”
This is exactly like what people say about Trump. If a person does something in the open then it cannot be a crime? Putin is conducting a war in Ukraine. And the whole world knows about it. There is no camouflage. So it's not a crime?
