Short-Seller Andrew Left Previews Defense in Skirmish Over 3,000 Extra Words

  • Left request to file expanded defense rejected by judge
  • Short seller is accused of fraud in parallel SEC, DOJ cases

Andrew Left

Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg
Lock
This article is for subscribers only.

Short seller Andrew Left is gearing up to seek dismissal of a US Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit over his trading activities, with his lawyer characterizing the civil case as a substandard “novelty.”

US authorities in July accused Left and his Citron Research firm of committing fraud through stock trades, social media posts and research reports — the culmination of a yearslong crackdown against traders who promote their bearish bets. The SEC case is running parallel to a US Justice Department criminal prosecution.