Ex-CEO Parag Agrawal, along with the company's former chief
legal and financial officers, claim in the suit that they are owed a total of
more than $1 million, and that Twitter is legally bound to pay them.
Twitter responded to an AFP request for comment with a poop
emoji, as has become its practice.
The court filing outlined numerous expenses related to
inquiries by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department
of Justice (DOJ), but does not include details on the nature of the
investigations or whether they are still ongoing.
Agrawal and then-chief financial officer Ned Segal provided
testimony to the SEC last year and "have continued to engage with federal
authorities," according to court documents.
The SEC is investigating whether Musk complied with
securities rules when he amassed Twitter shares.
Former Twitter chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde was called
on to take part in a US congressional hearing about big tech and free speech
following Musk's release late last year of so-called "Twitter Files"
related to the site's content moderation.
Gadde was also named as a defendant in a lawsuit by a man
who claimed he was "doxed" at Twitter as a white supremacist, the
filing said.
Musked terminated Agrawal, Gadde and Segal from their posts
in late October after closing his contentious $44 billion takeover of Twitter.
The three former executives argue that Twitter is bound by
agreements to reimburse them, but has done no more than acknowledge it received
their invoices.
After taking over Twitter, Musk quickly slashed the ranks of
employees, with the cuts so broad it raised concerns about the platform's
stability and its ability to fight misinformation and other abuse.
Complaints have also been filed accusing Twitter of not
paying rent or other bills as Musk follows on a vow to "cut costs like
crazy."
Meanwhile, market trackers say advertising revenue has
plunged at Twitter due to concerns over misinformation and hateful content
flourishing as Musk dials back moderation efforts.