Oct 4 (Reuters) - Citron Capital founder and short

seller Andrew Left has asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit by

the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that has accused him

of making millions of dollars by misleading investors with his

social media comments.

Left's lawyer, James Spertus, in a court filing argued

that the SEC's case "fails to state a claim because it neither

alleges a cognizable theory of fraud nor alleges sufficient

facts to support the theory alleged".

The securities regulator and the U.S. Justice Department in

July accused Left of manipulating the market and defrauding

investors with misleading claims about his positions in multiple

stocks, including Nvidia ( NVDA ) and Tesla.

The federal authorities have said that Left used his social

media platform and cable news appearances to promote what he

said were his long or short trades, only to quickly reverse his

positions, making as much as $20 million in the process.

The Federal judge in Los Angeles has set Left's trial for

Sept. 30, 2025. Left was slated to go on a trial in September

this year.

Left, who has pleaded not guilty, has for more than a decade

been among the most prominent of a cohort of "short activists"

who say they bet against public companies on the basis they are

over-valued or engaging in outright fraud.

Left's lawyer Spertus and the U.S. SEC did not immediately

respond to Reuters requests for comment.