Parler sued by co-founder Matze for ‘conspiracy’ to oust him

Parler co-founder John Matze sued the conservative social media site for wrongfully ousting him as chief executive and taking away his 40% ownership stake after it was temporarily knocked offline in the wake of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Matze claims Parler’s investors and co-founders, including Jeffrey Wernick and Rebekah Mercer, conspired to intimidate him with threats and accusations of misconduct to “bully and deprive” him of his personal property and legal rights. Matze is seeking “millions” of dollars in damages in a complaint filed in Nevada state court.

The suit highlights in-fighting at the media site amid allegations that it has failed to police violent rhetoric by users. Apple Inc.