eBay to pay nearly $50M after ex-employees allegedly terrorized couple with cockroach, fetal pig packages - Fox Business

What the report says

Fox Business reported that eBay Inc. agreed Tuesday to pay about $50 million to David and Ina Steiner, a Massachusetts couple who publish an e-commerce newsletter, over a 2019 harassment campaign carried out by former company employees. The Steiners’ 2021 lawsuit said the campaign included anonymous deliveries of live insects, spiders, a preserved fetal pig, a funeral wreath, a bloody pig mask and other disturbing items, along with online threats and surveillance.

According to the report, the settlement provides $48.7 million in compensation: roughly $46.15 million from eBay, $2 million from former CEO Devin Wenig, $500,000 from former senior vice president Wendy Jones and $50,000 from former chief communications officer Steve Wymer. eBay will also fund $6 million in charitable donations, while Wenig will give $1 million to a charity focused on First Amendment protections in Ina Steiner’s name.

Fox Business said the lawsuit alleged former employees were angered by the Steiners’ coverage and sought to intimidate them. Federal prosecutors charged six former eBay employees and one contractor in 2020; all pleaded guilty. Wenig, Wymer and Jones were named in the civil suit but were not criminally charged. Wenig has denied knowing about the campaign, saying through a representative that it was carried out secretly and without his knowledge.

eBay, which also paid a $3 million criminal penalty in 2024 in connection with the case, again apologized and said the conduct was wrong and not reflective of the company today. The company said it has strengthened policies, controls and ethics training since the events. The case is significant because it involved alleged corporate retaliation against journalists and raised broader concerns about press freedom and executive accountability.