Truth Social’s Infighting is Described by the Co-founder of Trump’s Media Company.
Will Wilkerson was an executive at Trump Media & Technology Group when he met Andy Litinsky at a Fort Lauderdale coffee shop. Trump asked Litinsky if he would give up some shares for Melania.
Trump Media, owner of the fledgling social networking site Truth Social, just received a large merger agreement along with a flood investment that had increased the stake to millions of dollars. Trump already received 90 percent of shares in return for his name and minor involvement.
Litinsky tried to ignore it, telling Trump that the gift would have been a tax bill that he couldn’t pay. Wilkerson stated in an interview. “Trump didn’t care. He said, “Do whatever you have to do.”
Five months later, Litinsky was removed abruptly from the company’s board. Litinsky first met Trump in 2004 when he was a contestant on “The Apprentice.” Wilkerson claimed that he believed it was retribution for refusing to hand over a small fortune the former president’s spouse. According to an email Wilkerson and his lawyers shared with The Washington Post and Securities and Exchange Commission, Litinsky believed so too. Litinsky complained to Trump that he was “retaliating” against him by threatening “to blow up the company” if he doesn’t meet his demands.
Litinsky didn’t respond to phone calls or emails. It is not known if he has retained his shares.
This email is one of many previously unreported company documents, messages, photos, and audio recordings Wilkerson provided to the SEC as part of a whistleblower submission. It reveals a striking portrait of the animosity inside Trump Media since last year’s high-profile debut.
This is a strong rival to not only Twitter but also Google, Disney and Amazon.
The company was promoted as Trump’s centerpiece post-presidential business ambitions. It had been marketed as a budding multimedia empire with enterprises in social media, video streaming and online payments.
Wilkerson stated that these plans were abandoned within the company due to bitter infighting and technical failures, as well as a chaotic jockeying among Trump supporters for power. This hampered its potential and caused some employees to cry at their desks.
Wilkerson was fired as senior vice president of operations on Thursday. He had spoken to The Post and filed the whistleblower complaint with the SEC in August. Wilkerson’s lawyers drafted the complaint. It alleges that the company tried to raise money through an investment vehicle called a special-purpose acquisition company (or SPAC). This was in violation of federal securities laws.
Federal watchdog agency the SEC allows the public to submit information, complaints, and referrals regarding suspected financial wrongdoing through a document called a form TCR. confidentiality protections can be granted to whistleblowers. In some cases, financial awards may also be available. Litinsky was not a party to the complaint.
Wilkerson is cooperating with investigations of Trump Media by both the SEC, federal prosecutors from New York’s Southern District, and Stephen Bell, his attorneys Phil Brewster and Patrick Mincey. Wilkerson also filed materials with the SEC’s whistleblower department. This includes a detailed computer log detailing their day-to-day activities.
