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A Spy in Silicon Valley

Jim Baugh, the former C.I.A. operative convicted of orchestrating a bizarre scheme to silence two eBay critics, blames the company for its toxic culture—and says he was still working as a spy. Now, the Justice Department is claiming that Baugh’s explosive allegations are classified.

Former eBay C.E.O. Devin Wenig, whose exorbitant salary and profligate spending were highlighted in reporting by David and Ina Steiner.
Former eBay C.E.O. Devin Wenig, whose exorbitant salary and profligate spending were highlighted in reporting by David and Ina Steiner. Photo: Odd Andersen/Getty Images
Eriq Gardner
November 13, 2023

Has the Central Intelligence Agency infiltrated corporate America, and even enlisted executives for espionage? It would appear so, at least judging by the Justice Department’s unusual intervention in a civil case brought by a pair of married journalists who were harassed by eBay executives including Jim Baugh, a former C.I.A. operative whose security firm once contracted with the likes of Apple, Amazon, and even the Oscars (he provided a protection detail for Joe Biden at the 2016 show).