A Live Nation Entertainment ticketing employee testified that his past private instant messages were 'very immature and unacceptable' when he called customers 'stupid' and boasted of 'robbing them blind, baby.'
Benjamin Baker, head of ticketing for Venue Nation, became a key witness in claims over 30 states are pressing against the concert promotion and ticketing giant after a Manhattan federal judge rejected Live Nation's efforts to exclude his messages from the trial.
The Justice Department reached a settlement with Live Nation last week to open up some ticketing and promotional markets to more competition, with federal government lawyers insisting the settlement will reduce ticket prices.
Many states, however, insist the Justice Department fell far short of a goal of destroying a monopoly and forcing the breakup of Live Nation.
Baker repeatedly expressed disappointment and regret at the messages he shared on Slack, the private messaging system his company uses, saying he was conveying surprise to a coworker about prices customers were willing to pay for amenities like lawn chairs, prime parking spots and access to VIP areas.
