We've asked Tesla if it can comment, although Musk claimed in December that the SEC couldn't stop him from posting what he wanted unless there was a "probability of causing a movement in the stock."

If the judge does hold Musk in contempt, it won't bode well for his future. The settlement spared Musk from admitting guilt (and thus keeping his CEO job safe) so long as Tesla adopted "controls and procedures" for his communications and reduced his control over the firm. A violation casts all that in doubt -- he might not escape relatively unharmed this time around.