According to Reuters, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) urged a federal judge on Thursday to force billionaire Elon Musk to testify about his $44 billion acquisition of social media giant Twitter (now known as X).

In documents submitted to the San Francisco federal court on Thursday, the SEC argued that its officials were within their power to demand that Musk testify.

Last month, the SEC said it was investigating Musk's 2022 purchase of Twitter stock - which Musk later renamed X - as well as his statements and SEC filings during the acquisition of the social media giant. The SEC said Musk refused to participate in a September investigative interview.

On November 2, Musk and his lawyers asked the judge to dismiss the SEC's motion to force him to testify, arguing that Musk had already testified twice and that the agency had exceeded its authority. But on Thursday, the SEC rejected those claims, saying its officials were indeed authorized by law to seek testimony and documents for investigative purposes.