'Crush this lady': how eBay harassment campaign led to $56M payout
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eBay's harassment campaign against a couple led to a $56 million payout.
The article details how eBay executives and security team members harassed Ina and David Steiner after their newsletter criticized the company. Seven employees were criminally sentenced to prison or home confinement. Former CEO Devin Wenig, ex-chief communication officer Steve Wymer, and ex-SVP Jeff Jones each paid settlements totaling over $2.5 million. eBay paid a $3 million criminal penalty.
What commenters are saying
Commenters focused on the disparity between the sentences for security team members and the lack of consequences for executives, who went on to other high-level roles. Specific sentences were listed: Jim Baugh got 57 months; others got home confinement or time served. The $3 million criminal penalty was criticized as tiny relative to eBay's revenue. Some questioned whether this was an isolated case or part of a broader pattern of intimidation by corporate security teams.