The Wall Street Journal Faces Lawsuit Over Unfounded Crypto Claims

Christopher Harborne and his company, AML Global Ltd., are taking The Wall Street Journal to court. They claim that a March 2023 piece by the publication falsely implicated them in serious crimes, including fraud, money laundering, and financing terrorism. This lawsuit, lodged in a Delaware state court at the end of February, centers on accusations that the article misrepresented Harborne and AML Global’s activities, tarnishing their reputation unjustly.

Harborne, the owner of a Thai-based aviation fuel brokerage, asserts that the contentious article inaccurately portrayed him as a facilitator of illegal operations at Tether and Bitfinex, two major names in the cryptocurrency sector. Despite the Journal’s article suggesting that Tether and Bitfinex employed dubious methods to stay connected with the global banking system, Harborne maintains that neither he nor AML Global partook in any misconduct. He emphasizes that documentation exists proving their innocence, a point he believes the Journal ignored.

The Wall Street Journal had reported that Tether and Bitfinex, striving to keep their banking access, relied on questionable intermediaries and manipulative tactics. This included altering company names and utilizing shell companies, with some accounts engaging in illicit activities. Harborne and AML Global were mentioned as part of this narrative, which led to public backlash against them.

However, the narrative took a turn when, a week prior to the lawsuit’s filing, the Journal retracted the section involving Harborne and AML Global. An editor’s note clarified that their attempt to open a bank account was incorrectly linked to Tether and Bitfinex’s alleged deceptive practices. The Journal’s spokesperson later defended their editorial decision, stating the removal of the contested section was in line with their standards, and expressed intent to vigorously defend against the lawsuit’s claims.

Harborne’s connection to Bitfinex is limited to a minority ownership stake, about 12%, which he acquired as part of a customer reimbursement plan following a 2016 hack. He stresses that his role in Bitfinex and Tether does not extend beyond being a shareholder, refuting any managerial or executive involvement.