Aviation Fuel Broker Sues Wall Street Journal Over Crypto Company Allegations

Christopher Harborne, the owner of Thailand-based aviation fuel broker AML Global Ltd., has filed a lawsuit against The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), alleging defamation.

The suit, lodged in a Delaware state court on Feb. 28, centers on a March 2023 WSJ article that Harborne claims falsely accused him and his company of engaging in illegal activities associated with stablecoin issuer Tether and cryptocurrency exchange Bitfinex. According to the lawsuit, the article wrongfully implicated him in “committing fraud, laundering money, and financing terrorists,” despite evidence to the contrary.

The WSJ article titled “Crypto Companies Behind Tether Used Falsified Documents and Shell Companies to Get Bank Accounts,” suggested Tether and Bitfinex used questionable methods to access the global banking system, including employing shadowy intermediaries and falsifying documents. Following Harborne’s legal challenge, the WSJ appended an editor’s note to the article on Feb. 21, 2024, clarifying that its previous version may have misleadingly connected Harborne and AML Global’s bank account applications to Tether and Bitfinex’s alleged banking strategies.

In response to the lawsuit, the WSJ has stated it intends to mount a robust legal defense, emphasizing the post-publication review process that led to the article’s amendment. The publication asserts the lawsuit contains inaccuracies and stands by its journalistic responsibilities.

Harborne’s connection to Bitfinex is identified in the lawsuit as a roughly 12% ownership stake, acquired through a reimbursement plan following a 2016 hack of the crypto exchange. The lawsuit clarifies that Harborne has no managerial or executive role at Bitfinex or Tether, but is instead a minority shareholder. This legal action highlights the contentious interaction between media reporting and the cryptocurrency sector, underlining the delicate balance between investigative journalism and the potential for defamation.

The post Aviation Fuel Broker Sues Wall Street Journal Over Crypto Company Allegations first appeared on Coinfea.