Mark Zuckerberg's security chief is leaving after an investigation into allegations of misconduct

Rob Price

Jul 9, 2019, 04:06 IST

Mark Zuckerberg's security chief is leaving after an investigation into allegations of misconduct

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg.

Liam Booth, the former head of personal security for Mark Zuckerberg, is leaving.
His departure comes after he was accused of serious misconduct, including sexual harassment and racism, by two former staffers.
A spokesperson for Facebook CEO's family office says it has found no evidence of misconduct.
They declined to comment on the current status of the legal proceedings.
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Mark Zuckerberg's personal security chief is leaving the Facebook CEO's family office after being accused of sexual misconduct and racism - though a spokesperson for the family office has said it has found no evidence to substantiate the allegations.

As Business Insider first reported in May, Liam Booth - the head of security for the 34-year-old billionaire's family office that handles household affairs, as well as philanthropic organisation The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative - has been accused by two former employees of serious misconduct.

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In an emailed statement on Monday, Ben LaBolt, a spokesperson for the family office, said internal investigations by the office's HR department and its law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson could not substantiate the allegations, but Booth has decided to leave anyway.

Here's the full statement:

"Over the course of several weeks, both the family office's HR Department and Munger, Tolles & Olson have conducted separate investigations into the allegations outlined by The Bloom Firm against Liam Booth. These investigations included numerous interviews with Mr. Booth's colleagues as well as a review of other relevant documents and information. Following these thorough investigations, the serious allegations made against Mr. Booth by the Bloom Firm could not be substantiated."

"Mr. Booth knows that minimizing distractions is vital to executing the security duties in this role, so he has decided to move on from the family office to pursue other opportunities. The family office is grateful for his service and wishes Mr. Booth the best in his future endeavors."

The allegations in question, made by the former employees through their lawyers at The Bloom Firm in legal documents reviewed by Business Insider, included accusations of "pervasive discriminatory conduct," "horrific levels of sexual harassment and battery," and of creating an environment in which support staff were repeatedly subjected to homophobic and transphobic diatribes - as well as allegations that Booth made racist remarks about Priscilla Chan, Zuckerberg's wife.

There is no allegation that Zuckerberg himself was aware of the alleged misconduct.

The two accusers have been demanding compensations for lost wages and damages for emotional distress, and LaBolt declined to comment on the current status of the legal proceedings. The Bloom Firm did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment, though it has previously been critical of the family office's refusal to hold an independent investigation.

"As far as we know, no independent investigation is underway," Lisa Bloom, the head of the firm, previously said. "Instead, a large defense law firm is defending against our clients' allegations. Attorneys are ethically bound to defend their clients. We urge the family to retain a truly neutral, independent investigator experienced in harassment and discrimination claims to make factual findings and recommendations on these urgent and important claims."

One of the accusers is a former employee of the 34-year-old billionaire's household staff who was responsible for preparing Zuckerberg's various homes for the family's arrival; the other is a former executive assistant to Liam Booth, Zuckerberg's security chief. Both retained the law firm of the California attorney Lisa Bloom, whose legal efforts on the behalf of Bill O'Reilly's accusers in 2017 helped get the TV host fired from Fox News.

Booth previously worked for the US Secret Service between 2001 and 2017, including a five-year stint working to "supervise the physical protection for the President and the first family of the United States" during the Obama years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The legal demand letters also accused Brian Mosteller, the managing director of Zuckerberg's private office and a former special assistant to former President Barack Obama, of failing to take action after the two staffers raised complaints. Mosteller remains in his position, LaBolt said.

One of the demand letters alleges that Booth made racist remarks to the household staffer about Chan's driving ability, including that "she's a woman and Asian, and Asians have no peripheral vision," while pulling his eyelids to the side in a racist caricature.

The other letter alleges Booth made a series of racist remarks to the security staffer. On more than one occasion, the letter alleges, Booth told the staffer he "didn't trust Black people" and "white lives matter more than Black lives." The letter also alleges that Booth bragged about deliberately attempting to undermine Chan's diversity goals in hiring and "complain[ed] about the number of Black people who worked at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative." When the security staffer objected to that remark, the letter alleges, Booth "angrily advocat[ed] against diversity in the workplace and the movement Black Lives Matters, which he called 'reverse racism.'"

Business Insider previously reported that a source who has worked around Booth and wished to remain anonymous because they are not authorized to speak publicly said they had also heard Booth say "Asians can't drive" and disparage Chan because of her ethnicity.

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