Ripple Board Member Arrested on Cyberstalking Charges

• Ripple board member and a close family friend of US President Donald Trump, Ken Kurson, has been arrested following allegations of cyberstalking.

• According to the New York Times, Kurson has stalked and harassed a total of five victims, including his ex-wife.

• He was reportedly most vicious against a friend of his ex-wife, whom he blamed for his divorce. He used pseudonyms to contact the hospital she worked and sent fraudulent emails claiming that she had an affair with her boss. Kurson also initiated a flood of negative Yelp reviews, threatening emails, and anonymous calls and messages to other hospital employees. 

• The woman claimed that Kurson had used the same tactics against another female victim, who was fired from her job. The criminal complaint also asserted that the second victim is Kurson’s ex-wife.

• The public corruption unit of the United States attorney’s office in Brooklyn is handling the case. A judge released Kurson from custody pending trial. 

• Kurson is a close friend of Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Kushner had previously appointed Kurson as the editor in chief when he owned The New York Observer in 2013. 

• In 2018, the Trump administration offered Kurson a seat on the board of the National Endowment for the Humanities. After a routine background check from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kurson withdrew from consideration.

• Kurson joined the board of directors at Ripple in early 2017. The announcement highlighted that Kurson was one of the first investors in the company. 

Featured Image Courtesy of CNBC