EBay and Ex-Executives to Pay $56 Million for Orchestrated Campaign Against Journalists
E-commerce giant eBay and several former leaders have reached a multimillion-dollar settlement with Ina and David Steiner following a 2019 intimidation plot. The agreement closes a civil chapter involving extreme harassment directed at the publishers of the EcommerceBytes newsletter.
Corporate Retaliation Reaches Record Settlement
A multi-year legal battle stemming from one of the most aggressive corporate harassment campaigns in history concluded this week with a $56 million settlement. EBay and a group of its former top executives agreed to the payout to resolve a 2021 civil lawsuit filed by Ina and David Steiner, the married couple behind the industry newsletter EcommerceBytes. The litigation followed a 2019 effort by eBay leadership to silence the couple after the newsletter published content critical of the company.
Tactics of Intimidation and Psychological Warfare
The campaign against the Steiners involved high-level coordination to facilitate psychological terror. Court records and investigations revealed that eBay personnel used anonymous social media accounts to target the couple while shipping a series of disturbing items to their residence. These deliveries included:
- Live spiders and cockroaches
- A bloody pig mask and a funeral wreath
- Pornographic materials and a book detailing how to survive the death of a spouse
The harassment extended beyond mailings. Internal communications detailed plans to attach a GPS tracking device to the Steiners' vehicle, though that specific act was never completed. Additionally, executives discussed dispatching a "Samoan gang" to the couple's home to heighten the pressure.
Breakdown of the Financial and Legal Consequences
The $56 million total consists of several distinct payments targeted at the corporation and the individuals who oversaw or ignored the misconduct. The settlement includes:
- $46.15 million paid directly by eBay.
- $2 million from former CEO Devin Wenig.
- $500,000 from former executive Wendy Jones.
- $50,000 from former executive Steve Wymer.
Remaining funds will be distributed to various non-profit organizations. This civil resolution follows criminal proceedings in 2022, where seven individuals were charged and pleaded guilty. Among those convicted was James Baugh, the former head of security, who received a sentence of nearly five years in prison. Other indicted parties included David Harville, Brian Gilbert, Stephanie Popp, Stephanie Stockwell, Philip Cooke, and contractor Veronica Zea.
Corporate Accountability and the Freedom of the Press
In an official statement released Tuesday, eBay condemned the actions of the former employees, labeling the conduct "reprehensible" and contrary to the firm's culture. Christopher Murphy, an attorney for the Steiners, emphasized that the objective of the lawsuit was to protect the rights of publishers and deter other corporations from using their resources to attack journalists. The Steiners sought to ensure that no other writers would be subjected to similar state-sponsored or corporate intimidation for their reporting.
Source: Tech Crunch
