eBay and former executives reach $56 million settlement in harassment lawsuit
eBay agreed to pay $56 million to a couple who were harassed by former company executives in 2019, while the company also entered a deferred-prosecution agreement and a $3 million fine.
eBay and a group of former senior staff have agreed to a $56 million settlement with David and Ina Steiner, who said they were targeted in a campaign of intimidation after publishing a critical newsletter in 2019. The settlement follows criminal convictions of seven ex-executives for actions that included sending a costume mask smeared with pig’s blood, a funeral wreath, threatening messages on social media and attempts to place a tracking device on the couple’s car.
An FBI agent described the conduct as an "unprecedented, relentless, and over-the-top harassment campaign". The company also entered a deferred-prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and will pay a $3 million fine. Most of the settlement will be paid by eBay, with $6 million earmarked for various non-profit groups; former CEO Scott Wenig will contribute $1 million, which will be donated to an unnamed charity that supports First Amendment rights.
"What the Steiners were subjected to by former eBay employees in 2019 was wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened," eBay said in a statement.
"We believe this resolution sends a clear message that corporations and their executives cannot engage in this type of misconduct without facing significant consequences," said Christopher Murphy of Scalli Murphy Law PC, which represented the Steiners.
Wenig, who left eBay in 2019, previously texted a senior communications executive with the phrase "Take her down," which his representative said referred to a public-relations strategy rather than personal harm. He added that no one should have endured the treatment the Steiners experienced.