eBay, Former Executives Pay $55.7M to Settle Journalist Harassment Case
The landmark settlement resolves a years-long civil suit over a 2019 campaign that sent cockroaches, a pig mask, and death threats to e-commerce newsletter publishers.
eBay and three former executives agreed to pay $55.7 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by Ina and David Steiner, publishers of EcommerceBytes who were targeted in a 2019 harassment campaign orchestrated by company insiders.
The Settlement Breakdown
Under the agreement announced Tuesday, eBay will pay $46.15 million directly to the Steiners, plus $6 million in charitable contributions. Former CEO Devin Wenig will pay $2 million to the couple and $1 million to a First Amendment rights charity. Former executives Wendy Jones and Steve Wymer will pay $500,000 and $50,000 respectively.
The Steiners receive $48.7 million in direct compensation, with the remainder allocated to charitable commitments. The settlement resolves a 2021 civil suit that ran parallel to criminal proceedings.
A Campaign of Terror
The harassment began after the Steiners published criticism of eBay from their home in Natick, Massachusetts. Senior executives launched a coordinated effort to intimidate them, deploying both cyberstalking through fake accounts and physical intimidation at their residence.
The couple received live spiders and cockroaches in the mail, a bloody pig mask, a funeral wreath, and pornographic magazines. Court documents revealed an internally broached plan to send a "Samoan gang" to their home, though this threat was never carried out.
Criminal Convictions Preceded Civil Settlement
Seven former eBay employees were criminally charged and pleaded guilty. James Baugh, eBay's former security chief, received 57 months in federal prison. The criminal cases established that high-ranking executives had direct knowledge of and participation in the harassment operation.
"As we have long stated, what the Steiners were subjected to by former eBay employees in 2019 was wrong, reprehensible and should never have happened," eBay said in a formal statement.
Protecting Press Freedom
The Steiners' attorney, Christopher Murphy, said the couple pursued the case with broader goals. "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 case stands as one of the most extreme examples of corporate retaliation against independent publishers in recent memory. The combination of criminal convictions for senior executives and a record-setting civil settlement sends a clear deterrent message about the consequences of targeting journalists.