‘WITH PREJUDICE’

Judge Tosses Wild Racketeering Lawsuit Filed Against Billionaire Michael Goguen

The venture capitalist's former head of security claimed that Goguen went to extreme lengths to cover up misconduct.

A federal judge has tossed out a wild lawsuit filed against billionaire Michael Goguen by his former head of security, bringing to end a saga that has embroiled Whitefish, Montana, for years. The racketeering lawsuit alleged that Goguen furtively used the security chief—Matthew Marshall—and a company they founded together to improperly manage his relationships with women, “make hush payments, target his enemies, and cover up” misconduct. Judge Donald Molloy declared in an opinion on Tuesday that the racketeering claims lacked merit, and he dismissed them with prejudice. In March, Marshall was sentenced to six years in prison for conning Goguen out of roughly $2 million by claiming that he was a former CIA agent who would use Goguen’s funds to conduct off-the-books missions, like striking “Syrian Terrorist Leaders.” Marshall pleaded guilty last November. In a statement, Goguen said in part: “I am pleased to see that justice has been done... Now that this convicted conman and pathological liar’s transparent plan for vengeance has crumbled, I am hopeful that the media outlets who reported on his salacious and defamatory fabrications will acknowledge the errors in their reporting.” Marshall’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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Noah KirschWealth and Power Reporter

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