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Ken Kurson, Former NY Observer Editor & Trump Ally, Arrested On Cyberstalking Charges
By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Oct 23, 2020
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By
Jake Offenhartz
Published Oct 23, 2020
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Ken Kurson, the former editor in chief of the New York Observer and onetime speechwriter for President Donald Trump, was arrested on Friday for allegedly stalking and harassing three people, including a doctor at Mount Sinai whom he reportedly blamed for his divorce.
Kurson, a longtime associate of Jared Kushner and Rudy Giuliani, surrendered to FBI agents on federal cyberstalking charges. In a newly unsealed complaint, federal prosecutors allege that he engaged in a "pattern of stalking and harassment" against the unnamed individuals, visiting them at work and making false complaints to their employer.
The 52-year-old was previously accused of harassing a female doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital during his 2015 divorce. According to a report from the Times, the doctor was a former friend of the couple, who told hospital officials that Kurson's "angry, erratic behavior" left her afraid for her safety.
The alleged harassment first came to light in 2018, as FBI officials were conducting a background check on Kurson, after Trump listed him as a possible pick to serve on the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The complaint also details Kurson's alleged stalking attempts against two individuals associated with the person he blamed for his divorce. He is accused hacking into their email and social media accounts and installing keystroke monitors on one victim's computer. Kurson also used aliases — "Eddie Train" and "Jayden Wagner" — to file false complaints to their employers, including improper contact with a minor, per the complaint.
His alleged victims described Kurson's conduct as "diabolical," "insane," and "traumatic."
Kurson has denied the allegations, and previously claimed to have withdrawn from being considered from the prestigious post because it involved too much paperwork.
"Ken Kurson is an honorable man, a loving dad, and a brilliant writer," his attorney Marc Mukasey said in a statement. "This case is hardly the stuff of a federal criminal prosecution. He will get past it."
After years as Giuliani's speechwriter, Kurson was appointed in 2013 by Jared Kushner to run the New York Observer, where he oversaw the paper's rightward tilt and flagrant attempts to promote Kushner's father-in-law, Donald Trump. While overseeing the paper's coverage of the 2016 presidential race, Kurson remained close with the Trump family, and even penned a speech the candidate delivered to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
His involvement in the Trump campaign alienated and drove out multiple reporters, and Kurson ultimately resigned in 2017. He now runs a cryptocurrency blog.
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Jake Offenhartz
Jake Offenhartz is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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