Matt Harrigan, the CEO of a San Diego–based start-up PacketSled, has resigned after posting assassination comments about President-elect Donald Trump on Facebook.
Harrigan, who founded the cybersecurity firm in 2013, made the remarks about the 70-year-old Republican businessman on election night. “I’m going to kill the president. Elect,” he wrote, according to a screenshot of his since-deleted Facebook post on Reddit.
After a friend suggested, “You just need to get high,” Harrigan allegedly responded, “Nope, getting a sniper rifle and perching myself where it counts. Find a bedroom in the White House that suits you….I’ll find you.”
PacketSled placed Harrigan on administrative leave Monday, November 14, after learning of the posts. “Once we were made aware of these comments, we immediately reported this information to the Secret Service and will cooperate fully with any inquiries,” the company wrote in a statement on its website. "These comments do not reflect the views or opinions of PacketSled, its employees, investors or partners.”
On Tuesday, November 15, the PacketSled board of directors accepted Harrigan’s resignation and appointed the company’s chief technology officer, Fred Wilmot, as interim CEO, according to another statement on PacketSled’s website.
Harrigan also took to Twitter to apologize for his actions November 13. “My humble apologies that a flawed joke has become public/out of context. My poor judgment does not represent the views of @packetsled, customers, investors or the officers of @packetsled. I have no malicious intention towards the #POTUS, and apologize to all for my lack of judgment and offensive commentary. I wish you all well.”
