Former President Donald Trump’s media company fired executives in recent days after internal allegations that its CEO, former Rep. Devin Nunes, mismanaged the company, according to interviews and tapes of former employees.
Several people associated with Trump Media believe the firings are retaliation after what they describe as an anonymous “whistleblower” complaint about Nunes reached the company’s board of directors.
According to interviews, social media posts and communications between former employees reviewed by ProPublica, the company’s chief operating officer and chief product officer have left, along with at least two lower-level employees. The company, which operates social media platform Truth Social, announced the departure of its chief operating officer in a securities filing Thursday afternoon.
ProPublica has not seen the whistleblower complaint. But several people with knowledge of the campaign said the concern stems from Nunes’ alleged mismanagement. One person said they included allegations of misappropriation of funds, hiring foreign contractors and interfering with product development.
In the statementA Trump Media spokesman did not respond to specific questions, but said ProPublica’s inquiry into the company “completely fabricated implications of improper and even illegal behavior that have no basis in reality.”
“This story is the fifth in a row in an increasingly absurd campaign by ProPublica, likely at the behest of political interest groups, to damage TMTG based on false and defamatory allegations and vague innuendo,” the statement said, adding that “TMTG strictly adheres to all laws and relevant regulations”.
The Trump Media board consists of a number of influential figures in Trump’s world, including his son Donald Trump Jr., former US trade representative Robert Lighthizer and businesswoman Linda McMahon, a major donor and current co-chair of Trump’s transition planning committee.
Nunes was named CEO of the company in 2021, and Trump called him a “fighter and leader” who would “make a great CEO.” As a member of Congress, Nunes was known as one of the most loyal to Trump.
After the internal allegations about Nunes were made at Trump Media, the company hired a lawyer to investigate and interview employees, according to a person with knowledge of the company.
Then, last week, some employees interviewed by the attorney were told they were being squeezed, the person said. Employees being pushed out include a director of human relations and a product designer, as well as chief operating officer Andrew Northual and chief product officer Sandra De Moraes. A person with knowledge of the company said Trump Media asked employees to sign an agreement not to make public claims of wrongdoing against the company in exchange for being fired.
Thursday afternoon Northwall posted to Truth Social announcing that he had “decided to step down from his role at Trump Media,” adding that he was “incredibly grateful” to Trump and Nunes “for this opportunity.”
“When I step down, I look forward to being able to focus more on my family and return to my entrepreneurial path,” the statement said.
De Moraes now identifies himself on his biography Truth Social as the company’s “Former Chief Product Officer”.
Some information about the departure came to light earlier this week when former Trump Media employee Alex Gleason said on social media that “Truth Social is in ruins. Many more people were fired.”
Trump personally owns nearly 60% of the company. That stake, even after the recent drop in the company’s stock price, is worth nearly $2 billion on paper, a significant chunk of Trump’s wealth. He said last month he had no plans to sell his shares. It’s unclear what role Trump plays in the company’s day-to-day operations.
Since its launch in 2021, the company has morphed into a meme-fueled, speculation-fueled venture, but its actual business has generated little to no revenue, and Truth Social hasn’t become a serious competitor for major social media platforms.
Among Nunes’ actions as CEO, ProPublica reported, was signing a major streaming TV deal with several obscure firmsincluding under the control of a major political donor. He too traveled through the Balkans summer and met with the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, the purpose of this trip was never publicly explained by the company.
Trump Media has official whistleblower policyadopted when the company went public in March, which encourages employees to report illegal activities and other “business conduct that harms the company’s good name” and business interests.
Do you have information about Trump Media that we should know? Robert Faturechi can be reached by email at (email protected) and via Signal or WhatsApp at 213-271-7217. Justin Elliott can be reached by email at (email protected) or via Signal or WhatsApp at 774-826-6240.
