Over the course of 2021, Parler, a beloved free speech site that is popular with conservatives, has had a lot going on. After the Capitol riots last month, Parler suffered a swift de-platforming from Amazon Web Services, Apple, and Google. Since then, Parler has been working to get back online and back in business.
Yesterday, however, news broke that put Parler back in the limelight. John Matze, the now-former CEO of Parler, is no longer with the company. Matze spoke to the press yesterday, confirming that he was terminated from his position. The now-former Parler CEO then professed that the future of the site is no longer within his hands.
However, the Parler board of directors’ decision to fire Matze has more than meets the eye. According to Townhall, Matze’s account of his firing is very different than that of the co-owners, one of them being conservative podcaster Dan Bongino.
Matze’s Account of His Termination from Parler
The former Parler CEO released a statement this week which provides his story regarding the firing.
Matze expressed that his “strong belief in free speech” and preferred management of Parler has faced “constant resistance” from the higher-ups at Parler. Later, Matze declared that he’s put in “endless hours” and fought “constant battles” to get Parler up and running again.
The board of Parler, a social media platform backed by Republican Party donor Rebekah Mercer and favored by conservatives, has fired its CEO John Matze https://t.co/CqJ1gKm3wC pic.twitter.com/SuLI0Fqbi3
— Reuters (@Reuters) February 4, 2021
Finally, the former CEO concluded his statement by thanking Parler employees, users, and supporters for their backing of the company.
The Parler Co-owners’ Account of Matze’s Termination
Suffice it to say, Matze’s version of events is not in alignment with what Parler’s co-owners have to say.
After Matze’s public statement, Parler co-owner Dan Bongino released his own statement via Facebook. Bongino expressed that while he harbors no personal gripes towards Matze, the latter’s version of events simply isn’t accurate.
News: Bongino sets record straight about John Matze and Parler https://t.co/BIYyqIRJy1
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— Wayne Dupree Media, LLC (@WayneDupreeShow) February 3, 2021
The conservative podcaster then expressed that the free speech vision for Parler was always that of the co-owners, not of Matze’s. Bongino also noted that Parler could have been back up a long time ago, had the site acquiesced to the calls for censorship guidelines that mirror those of Twitter’s.
Finally, Bongino stated that he will talk more about Parler and Matze’s firing on Thursday during his podcast episode.
What do you think about Parler’s decision to fire its CEO? Are you looking forward to the free speech site being online again? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
