Craigslist CEO wants apology from South Carolina AG

Jim Buckmaster

Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster lashed out in a blog post at South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster for threatening to prosecute him and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark.

Buckmaster was responding to McMaster's accusations that Buckmaster, Newmark and Craigslist were engaging in illegal acts. This is the latest chapter in the effort by law enforcement officials from several states and cities to force Craigslist to do more to prevent ads for prostitution from appearing on the site. In an apparent move to placate attorneys general, Craigslist last week announced that it would replace the controversial "erotic section" with a new "adult section" and would not post any ad until it was reviewed by a human.

In his post at Craigslist.org, Buckmaster told McMaster that he was out of line in his claims that the changes at Craigslist didn't go far enough. Buckmaster is apparently indicating he believes the site has done enough to address the problem of prostitution.

"These very serious allegations followed the dramatic changes we implemented last week, widely applauded by other attorneys general," Buckmaster wrote. He also noted that the changes go far beyond alterations to the site that McMaster endorsed six months ago. The question is why is McMaster so outraged now?

Buckmaster noted that AT&T, Microsoft, and Village Voice Media, as well as major newspapers are posting very graphic ads in their "adult sections" and McMaster has not included them in his attacks. "What's a crime for Craigslist is clearly a crime for any company," Buckmaster wrote. "Are you really prepared to condemn the executives" ...from these "mainstream companies...Mr. McMaster, I strongly recommend you reconsider and retract your remarks."

Buckmaster said launching a criminal prosecution against Craigslist isn't warranted by the facts, and is barred by federal law.

"We're willing to accept our share of criticism," Buckmaster wrote, "but wrongfully accusing Craigslist of criminal misconduct is simply beyond the pale. We would very much appreciate an apology at your very earliest convenience."

So far, the South Carolina attorney general's office has declined to comment beyond a terse statement posted to its Web site on Friday, in which it said, "We have no alternative but to move forward with criminal investigation and potential prosecution."

Below is a copy of Buckmaster's blog post:

An Apology Is In Order

Dear South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster,

Two days ago you accused Craigslist, and me personally, of engaging in criminal acts, reiterating your previous threat to file unwarranted and unconstitutional charges against us that are clearly barred by federal law. As you put it, "We have no alternative but to move forward with criminal investigation and potential prosecution."

These very serious allegations followed the dramatic changes we implemented last week, widely applauded by other attorneys general, that go far beyond the policies and procedures you yourself personally endorsed just 6 months ago, as indicated by your signature on the joint statement.

So effective in fact, that our "adult services" and soon-to-be-retired "erotic services" sections combined, for all cities in South Carolina, currently feature a total of 40 ads, all of which comply with our terms of use. That's 40 ads out of a total of 334,180 currently listed on our SC sites. The rest comprise a thriving marketplace for South Carolinians, offering jobs, housing, for sale items, local services, and just about everything else.

Many prominent companies, including AT&T, Microsoft, and Village Voice Media, not to mention major newspapers and other upstanding South Carolina businesses feature more "adult services" ads than does Craigslist, some of a very graphic nature. For a small sampling, look (careful NSFW) here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here, and here.

Have you fully considered the implications of your accusations against Craigslist? What's a crime for Craigslist is clearly a crime for any company. Are you really prepared to condemn the executives of each of the mainstream companies linked above, and all the others that feature such ads, as criminals? Craigslist may not matter in your world view, despite our popularity among your constituents, but mightn't you want an endorsement from any of the SC newspapers for your gubernatorial campaign, whose publishers you've just labeled as criminals? Do you really intend to launch a criminal investigation against the phone company? What about potential new jobs connected to big data center buildouts in SC by Internet companies? Are you sure you want prosecute all of their CEOs as criminals???

If you are threatening our founder Craig Newmark, a board member with no operational role at Craigslist other than as a customer service representative, then you are expanding your list of "criminal suspects" to include thousands of employees at the above-named companies, or the companies' boards of directors, or both.

Mr. McMaster, I strongly recommend you reconsider and retract your remarks, and positively affirm that you have no intention of launching criminal investigations aimed at any of these upstanding companies, because in truth none of them are deserving of such treatment. Certainly when it comes to Craiglist, by any objective standard your threats and accusations are unreasonable and unfair:

• threats of criminal prosecution are utterly unwarranted by the facts
• the charges threatened are unconstitutional and barred by federal law
• our adult ad screening regimen is stricter than the one you endorsed
• our adult services ads are fewer and tamer than other SC venues.

We're willing to accept our share of criticism, but wrongfully accusing Craigslist of criminal misconduct is simply beyond the pale. We would very much appreciate an apology at your very earliest convenience. As I'm sure would all of the other fine companies whose executives you've called out as criminals.

Sincerely yours,

Jim Buckmaster
CEO, Craigslist

[unravelled]

Thats why I just use meetsafe.tk to find my local "masseuses." Too many scams on craigslist.

[lonestarState]

Henry McMaster will be looking for job on craigslist pretty soon. Would not doubt it for a minute Attorney General Henry McMaster is one of those perverts posting a lising "Lonely Lawyer, wanting some love at 3pm Friday at the corner of Main Street."

[benjwah]

Actually, the job he's going for is Governor in 2010.
If there is any justice though, he will soon be unemployed. South Carolina though. It's like North Carolina, but southier.

[christovich79]

"In the blog post, Buckmaster noted that AT&T, Microsoft, and Village Voice Media, as well as major newspapers are posting very graphic ads in their "adult sections" and McMaster has not included them in his attacks. "What's a crime for Craigslist is clearly a crime for any company," Buckmaster wrote. "Are you really prepared to condemn the executives" ...from these "mainstream companies... Mr McMaster, I strongly recommend you reconsider and retract your remarks."

Buckmaster said launching a criminal prosecution against Craigslist isn't warranted by the facts, and is barred by federal law.

"We're willing to accept our share of criticism," Buckmaster wrote, "but wrongfully accusing Craigslist of criminal misconduct is simply beyond the pale. We would very much appreciate an apology at your very earliest convenience."



JUST IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

[viperfud]

I'm sorry ... what did buckmaster note about AT&T, M$ and VVM?

And how does he feel about criticsm?

[alegr]

I still didn't get it. Can you repeat it one more time?

[co_z]

whoever wrote this went a little crazy with the ctrl+c and ctrl+v.

[richardleemann]

haha, thanks for clearing that up. 3 times in the articlet may not have been enough.

[crecord1]

No surprise. I live in SC now, but am from another State. Remember this is the State that threatened to prosecute Michael Phelps (even though there was no possible way to get a conviction). It's all about the publicity and a Governor's race next year. Between the AG, local District Attoneys and a Governor (that wants to give away the stimulus money to other states (at the expense of schools)), it normal PR business for SC. But, be sure not to mess with the Payday Lending Industry and their 1000% interest rates. The Legislature has been talking about reform of the industry for 10 years, but do nothing. They would never go after or prosecute them, they run the State. But then, if the Payday Lenders decide that Craigslist is hurting their business, they will run Craigslist out of the State (even if it means cutting all internet connections to the State).

personally they should thank craigslist for helping them do their job all narcs have to do is call them and get their location go there and DO THE JOB THEY'RE PAID FOR

[U. Tripps]

Think of all the possibilities for McMaster/Buckmaster slash fiction! I mean, how do we know this whole story isn't just the exposition of some sort of extended, BDSM reality-performance art piece? Who will master who, in the end?!?

[professionaladventurer]

Looking for good stuff on CL is like searching for quarters in a "feed lot" (ok it's easier to search for that) look at this gem: http://anchorage.craigslist.org/ele/1175321962.html I have all but given up CL as filled with crap or spam.

[tacit]

To be fair, this is South Carolina we're talking about.

South Carolina's state constitution prohibited interracial marriage up until 1998. Since they consistently seem to lag about half to three-quarters of a century behind the industrialized world in their laws about sex, we can expect them to get a handle on the Internet in about 2067 or so.

[rrod182]

Very true. According to a recent poll most South Carolinans think the Internet is some new fangled way to trap varmints.

[eswinson]

This was Strom Thurmond's state - enough said

[theboyr]

*slow clap*

[shootfirst]

Craigslist is crap. It needs to disappear and die.

[wshwe]

South Carolina deserves to get blasted by Craigslist!

[The_happy_switcher]

What do you expect from a backward, redneck state?

[ewelch]

Said the Pimp to the cop...

[ofmyony]

In my opinion Craigslist is to big to be managed and is looking for a way out. If you want to be in the business of featuring want ads you should be responsible for the content that is on your site. If you don't have the staff to review ads hire more people, limit the sites content or suffer the consequences.

[rdupuy11]

The South Carolina AG claims to have 'no alternative.'

You lack imagination sir! I have some alternatives for you! Here's one: quit your job.
Here's another: find a cliff...jump.

Well we can do this all day...rest assured, you have alternatives.

[derisoncsc]

You know what Buckmaster should do? Shut down the SC craigslist site for a few days, maybe over a friday/saturday/sunday... when you go to craiglist/sc site have a notice posted that due to legal threats being made by the states AG craiglist/sc has been temporairly closed. The let all the pissed off people looking for apartments, furniture baby clothes contact the AG office to let him know what a moron they think he is...there are more up front sex ads in my city's newspaper than there are on the SC craigslist site...

we should regulate the sex industry anyway...imagine what we could do with that tax money :)