Chilling Harassment Campaign Uncovered at eBay
In a shocking episode that has left many questioning corporate accountability, eBay has agreed to pay a staggering $56 million to a married couple who were subjected to a horrific harassment campaign by the company’s former executives in 2019.
The couple, Ina and David Steiner, co-authors of the e-commerce newsletter EcommerceBytes, had been targeted by high-level eBay executives after occasionally criticizing the company in their publication. The executives, driven by a desire to silence the couple, concocted a sinister plot to intimidate them into halting their negative coverage.
The harassment campaign, which involved the use of sock puppet social media accounts, anonymous threatening letters, and bizarre items sent through the mail, was a chilling display of corporate aggression. According to previously released court documents, the executives also planned to affix a GPS tracking device to the couple’s car and even enlisted the services of a ‘Samoan gang’ to intimidate them.
Seven former eBay employees were criminally charged and pleaded guilty in relation to the plot, including the company’s former security chief, James Baugh, who was sentenced to nearly five years in prison. Others indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice include David Harville, Brian Gilbert, Stephanie Popp, Stephanie Stockwell, Philip Cooke, and former eBay contractor Veronica Zea.
eBay has disavowed the behavior of its former employees, stating that it ‘was not representative of eBay’s culture.’ The company has also apologized to the Steiners, stating that they ‘condemn, in the strongest terms possible, the employees who perpetrated and pled guilty to criminal charges for the misconduct against Ina and David Steiner.’
The settlement, which includes $46.15 million paid to the couple by eBay itself, as well as $2 million from former eBay executive Devin Wenig, $500,000 from former eBay executive Wendy Jones, and $50,000 from former eBay executive Steve Wymer, is a significant step towards accountability and justice for the Steiners.
As Christopher Murphy, one of the Steiners’ attorneys, noted, ‘This case was always about more than obtaining financial recovery. From the beginning, our clients wanted to uncover the truth, protect journalists and publishers, hold those responsible accountable, deter future corporate misconduct, and help ensure others would never have to endure what they experienced.’
The Steiners’ ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the need for corporate accountability and the importance of protecting journalists and publishers from harassment and intimidation.
