Short seller Andrew Left, founder of Citron Research, has filed a federal lawsuit against Toronto-based Anson Advisors and Anson Funds Management, alleging that the firm and two of its executives lied to the SEC about payments made to him to “protect their own interests”, according to a report by Bloomberg.
Left claims in the complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court that Anson falsely suggested he devised a scheme to route proceeds from a short-selling strategy through a third party. He says these statements were used by regulators as part of the government’s fraud case against him, which includes 19 criminal counts and a parallel SEC civil case over alleged market manipulation tied to his trading and social media posts.
According to Left, the payments – worth $840,000 related to a short position in Canadian cannabis company Namaste Technologies – were misrepresented by Anson’s executives Moez Kassam and Sunny Puri to shield themselves during the SEC probe. The hedge fund previously resolved two SEC investigations without admitting wrongdoing, including one involving its dealings with Left.
Anson, in response, said its executives testified truthfully under oath and called Left’s complaint “meritless,” describing it as a “desperate attempt to manipulate the legal system ahead of his criminal trial,” which begins in March 2026.
Left’s lawsuit seeks to challenge the government’s evidence, alleging that false statements by Anson contributed to the charges against him. His legal team, Dynamis LLP, claims a “miscarriage of justice” occurred and is pursuing all available remedies.
This marks the latest twist in a years-long regulatory crackdown on short sellers and hedge funds tied to trading ahead of public reports, which began in 2018 and became public in 2021.
