Item 1. Legal Proceedings
Item 1. Legal Proceedings.
Except as indicated below, to the knowledge of our management team, there is no litigation currently pending or contemplated against us, or against any of our property.
We are cooperating with a FINRA inquiry concerning events (specifically, a review of trading) that preceded the public announcement of the Merger Agreement. According to FINRA’s request, the inquiry should not be construed as an indication that FINRA has determined that any violations of Nasdaq rules or federal securities laws have occurred, nor as a reflection upon the merits of the securities involved or upon any person who effected transactions in such securities.
On October 20, 2023, the Plaintiff filed a complaint against Rocket One, Michael Shvartsman, Bruce Garelick, and the Company in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. According to the complaint, the Company has been named as a party in the lawsuit because the Plaintiff is seeking relief for the benefit of the Company. In the complaint, the Plaintiff contends that, in 2021, Mr. Garelick and Rocket One were directors of the Company and that they purchased securities of the Company. The Plaintiff further alleges that within a six-month period from the date of their purchases, both Mr. Garelick and Rocket One sold securities in the Company and realized profits from those sales. Additionally, the Plaintiff alleges that Mr. Shvartsman had a financial interest in the profits resulting from Rocket One’s purchases and sales of the Company’s securities. According to the Plaintiff, under Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act (15 U.S.C. §78p(b)), Rocket One, Mr. Shvartsman, and Mr. Garelick are each required to disgorge certain trading profits to the Company. As of the date of this report, the Company has not filed a response to the complaint. The case is Lowinger v. Rocket One Capital, LLC, et al., No. 1:23-cv-9243 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 20, 2023).
Settlement in Principle
As previously disclosed in the Company’s Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 3, 2023, the Company was the subject of an Investigation by the SEC with respect to certain statements, agreements and the timing thereof included in the Company’s registration statements on Form S-1 in connection with its IPO and Form S-4 relating to the business combination between the Company and TMTG.
On July 3, 2023, the Company reached a Settlement in Principle in connection with the Investigation. The Settlement in Principle was subject to approval by the SEC.
On July 20, 2023, the SEC approved the Settlement in Principle, announcing settled charges against Digital World and entered a Order finding that Digital World violated certain antifraud provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, in connection with Digital World’s IPO filings on Form S-1 and the Form S-4 concerning certain statements, agreements and omissions relating to the timing and discussions Digital World had with TMTG regarding the proposed business combination. In the Order, Digital World agreed (i) that any amended Form S-4 filed by Digital World will be materially complete and accurate with respect to certain statements, agreements and omissions relating to the timing and discussions that Digital World had with TMTG regarding the proposed business combination and (ii) to pay a civil money penalty in an amount of $18 million to the SEC promptly after the closing of any merger or a comparable business combination or transaction, whether with TMTG or any other entity.
Section 5.2 of the Merger Agreement provides that without the prior written consent of TMTG (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed) the Company shall not settle or compromise any claim, action or proceeding, including any suit, action, claim, proceeding or investigation relating to the Merger Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby, in excess of $100,000. As such, the Company has kept TMTG appraised of the discussions with the SEC and the Settlement in Principle. Nevertheless, TMTG is not a party to the Settlement in Principle or any related negotiation and it has not provided its consent to such settlement. Although the Company believes that it has complied with Section 5.2 of the Merger Agreement, TMTG may disagree and try to terminate the Merger Agreement.
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