Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Sacked Parler Founder Sues 'Free Speech' Network for Millions Over 'Orchestrated Theft' of Stake

Sacked Parler Founder Sues 'Free Speech' Network for Millions Over 'Orchestrated Theft' of Stake

The CEO of conservative social network Parler, John Matze, claimed co-founder and GOP hedge fund heiress Rebekah Mercer fired him for cracking down on violent extremism and "domestic terrorists" after the site and app were taken down. The site is back up since his sacking in January, after reducing its exposure to actions by rivals in big tech.

The co-founder and former CEO of conservative social network Parler is suing the firm for millions of dollars over his sacking, after rivals in big tech took the site offline in January.

John Matze, a resident of Henderson, Nevada, where the "free speech" site was founded in 2018, filed a lawsuit at Clark County District Court on Monday, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

Matze is seeking “millions in compensatory” damages for what he calls was an “orchestrated theft” of his 40 percent stake in the firm — and accuses a cofounder of trying to turn the site, popular with conservatives, into a 'spearhead' for extremism and "domestic terrorists".

“This outlandish and arrogant theft, which occurred in Nevada, is the product of a conspiratorial agreement and actions taken both inside and outside of Nevada, that include intimidating threats and defamatory accusations of misconduct all designed to bully and deprive Matze of his valuable personal property and legal rights,” his lawsuit claims.

Parler briefly became the most-downloaded mobile device app, after Twitter permanently suspended former US President Donald Trump from the network in January, claiming that incited violence in posts to his 88 million followers. Google and Apple promptly banned the app from their online download services, while Amazon — from which Parler rented server space — evicted the site and app from its virtual premises.

Matze's lawsuit alleges that fellow co-founder Rebekah Mercer, the daughter of billionaire right wing hedge fund manager Robert Mercer, sacked him for Parler's take-down by the larger tech companies.

Matze “was abruptly ousted in violation of the law and public policy for endeavouring to preserve Parler’s commitment to free expression while combating any misuse by violent extremists and domestic terrorists in the wake of the January 6, 2021, attack at the US Capitol," it reads.

"Rather than protect Parler, its other owner, Rebekah Mercer, sought to co-opt it as a symbol or as the ‘tip of the spear’ for her brand of conservatism, and plotted to force Matze out as CEO, manager, and member, and steal his forty percent (40%) ownership interest."

The staunchly Republican Mercer family also invested in conservative 'alt-right' news website Breitbart, whose editor, Steve Bannon, briefly worked as a White House advisor to Trump. The family also worked closely with British political marketing firm Cambridge Analytica.

Unlike its big-league rivals, Facebook and Twitter, Parler claims that it does not aggressively censor user posts or ban users for offending others. Parler has long been accused of being a haven for conspiracy theorists, domestic terrorists, extremists and racists.

Telegram saw a massive surge in popularity in January after US rival WhatsApp's owner, Facebook, announced users must consent to sharing data with other apps if they want to continue to use its services. A Washington DC-based lobbying group, the Coalition for a Safer Web, promptly sued Apple in a bid to force it to ban Telegram also, claiming some users were sending "neo-Nazi" and "racist" messages.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
×