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Allegations of Hacking in Corporate Coup Attempt
A recent lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida has unveiled shocking allegations of hacking and corporate coup attempts involving a board member of Trump Media & Technology Group. The lawsuit accuses the board member of orchestrating a plot to overthrow one of the executives who played a pivotal role in taking the firm public. Trump Media recently transitioned into a publicly traded company through a merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC), a special purpose acquisition company.
The Background Story
DWAC, initially spearheaded by Patrick Orlando, was instrumental in the deal to make Truth Social public. However, Orlando was abruptly dismissed in March 2023 due to delays in the deal. He was promptly replaced by Eric Swider, who currently serves on Trump Media’s board of directors. The lawsuit, filed by Benessere Investment Group, a company under Orlando’s control, centers on this controversial transition of power.
Benessere alleges that Swider, during his tenure as DWAC CEO, conspired to stage a “coup d’état” aimed at dethroning Orlando. The lawsuit further claims that Swider and his co-conspirators unlawfully obtained access to Benessere’s computer systems and files to launch a targeted attack on Orlando and his affiliates as part of a grand strategy to seize control of a publicly traded company set to merge with Trump Media.
Lawsuits and Legal Battles
This legal saga adds to the mounting tensions among the original employees involved with Truth Social, the surviving members, and former president Donald Trump. Even before the official launch of Truth Social in early 2022, DWAC faced a series of challenges ranging from investigative probes to internal conflicts. Amid the chaos, the company managed to go public last month, now boasting a valuation exceeding $5 billion despite generating a modest revenue of just over $4 million in 2023.
The lawsuit details how Swider allegedly collaborated with Cano, Orlando’s former personal assistant, to gain unauthorized access to a secure electronic storage account associated with Benessere and ARC II. This account safeguarded Orlando’s sensitive files, Mailchimp credentials, and DocuSign accounts. Cano, although no longer employed by Orlando or Benessere, maintained access to the accounts with Swider’s purported approval.
According to the lawsuit, Cano took control of the Box Account linked to Benessere and ARC II, denying Orlando access to crucial investor information and confidential financial data. The suit further alleges that Swider capitalized on Orlando’s stolen Mailchimp account details to disparage Orlando’s reputation among ARC II investors, complicating an already tumultuous situation.
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