Bill Pulte admits the lawsuit he’s embroiled in is absurd.
“These Fortune 500 executives are messing around,” said Pulte, grandson of PulteGroup founder William J. Pulte.
Boardroom disagreements between the successor, who served on the company’s board from 2016 to 2020, and former PulteGroup vice president and soon-to-be chief operating officer Brandon Jones have turned into a series of lawsuits alleging online harassment, stalking and defamation.
While Pulte was on the board, he was able to block Jones’ promotion to chief operating officer. However, Jones was ultimately selected for the role, which he was due to begin in January.
But according to the lawsuit Pulte filed in December, Jones began harassing him on Twitter through a pseudonymous account. Jones’ so-called Burn account posted a series of fiery tweets about Pulte, who has more than 3 million followers on the platform. The charges include that Pulte committed securities fraud, that Pulte Group employees generally disliked him and were responsible for some of them losing their jobs, and that his father, Mark Pulte, set the fire.
This led to an investigation by PulteGroup that led to Jones’ dismissal, concluding that he had violated the company’s code of ethics.
Jones and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment. But he has already filed his own defamation suit against Pulte in Georgia federal court.
In the 76-page lawsuit, Jones claims he has been the target of a smear campaign because Pulte wanted to return to PulteGroup’s board, oust current leadership and take control of the company. Jones said his life was threatened because of Pulte’s tweets and his talking to the media about the case. He is seeking more than $75,000 in damages.
Pulte denies claims in Jones lawsuit, tells real deal His so-called desire to return to the board is “absurd.”
Meanwhile, California resident Stephen Richardson is also suing Jones, alleging he used Richardson’s name, image and likeness, including a photo of him in college, for a burn account that allegedly defamed Poulter .
Jones’ insurer, Crestwood, has joined Pulte in suing its own clients and is trying to avoid paying for Jones’ defense and a potential settlement or judgment.
Pulte Group, one of the largest homebuilders in the United States, has so far avoided getting involved in the legal battle. Poulter admitted he was concerned about how the legal battle between him and Jones would affect the legacy of his family business.
A PulteGroup spokesman declined to comment via email, saying it was a private matter between Pulte and Jones.
