Neutral analysts on CNBC providing commentary is pretty different than someone with a financial stake trying to pump up a stock they own to maximize their profit.
There is no evidence that any of the major funds involved in shorting have done anything illegal.
There's nothing illegal about a wash sale, wash sales are just a minor technicality around how cost basis is calculated for tax purposes.
People figured out they could exploit a fund that was overexposed in a trade and did so. We don't need all the conspiracies and class warfare. Greedy retail traders took some money from some greedy hedge funds, that's the whole story, it doesn't need to be more than that.