Prosecutors want Shkreli’s bail revoked due to online harassment
They said he posed a “danger” in response to a Facebook post about Hillary Clinton.
On Thursday, US prosecutors petitioned a court to revoke Martin Shkreli's $5 million bail due to a remark made on Facebook about Hillary Clinton. Prosecutors said it was evidence he posed a "danger to the community." On September 4th, Shkreli reportedly wrote on Facebook that he would give $5,000 to anyone who grabbed a strand of Clinton's hair while she was on her book tour.
In court, prosecutors said, "Shkreli has engaged in an escalating pattern of threats and harassment that warrant his detention pending sentencing." Shkreli is currently out on bail while he awaits sentencing for an August conviction that found him guilty of defrauding hedge fund investors. A hearing will be held on September 14th on the motion to revoke Shkreli's bail and send him to prison.
Shkreli has become the face of many things including pharma greed and Wu-Tang Clan fan disgust. But he's on his way to becoming the face of internet harassment as well. This isn't the first time Shkreli has come under fire for something he said on social media -- his Twitter account was suspended earlier this year after he harassed writer Lauren Duca. While both Twitter and Facebook leave much to be desired when it comes to managing harassment, in Shkreli's case, Twitter took action while he himself took down the Facebook post in question -- though only after the Secret Service got involved and a day later than he said he would.
Shkreli's lawyer told Reuters, "However inappropriate some of Mr. Shkreli's postings may have been, we do not believe that he intended harm and do not believe that he poses a danger to the community. We take the matter seriously and intend to address the issue responsibly."
