Uber investor arrested but not charged with rape in London
Renown venture capitalist Sherwin Pishevar, who was released after rape accusation in May, says he's the victim of a smear campaign.
A prominent Silicon Valley venture capitalist is responding to what he calls a smear campaign months after he was accused of rape but faced no charges.
Shervin Pishevar, an early investor in Uber , was arrested in May for allegedly sexual assaulting a 31-year-old woman in a London hotel, according to a Fast Company article Wednesday.
Venture capitalist Shervin Pishevar says he's the target of a smear campaign.
However, the 31-year-old Pishevar, chairman of the transportation startup Hyperloop One, was never charged with a crime. A police spokesperson said there was "insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction, therefore no further action was taken against the suspect," the Fast Company report said.
Pishevar's attorney, Mark Fabiani, said in a statement to Forbes Thursday that his client fully cooperated and was told in July "no further action would be taken against him."
Pishevar, who is a co-founder of Sherpa Capital, is also known for his unusual essays defending Uber CEO Travis Kalanick during the dramatic executive shakeup and board strife at the ride-hailing company this summer.
Meanwhile, Pishevar is also suing a Republican-led research firm in San Francisco called Definers Public Affairs, which he claims defamed his character in a covert smear campaign, according to the reports. He says two company executives spread false information, including that he paid to settle the rape allegation.
"That is categorically false. It is because of false rumors like this that Mr. Pishevar was compelled to bring his legal action against Definers to ensure that his reputation is not destroyed and that the truth will always prevail," Fabiani, Pishevar's attorney, said in his statement to Forbes. Fabiani didn't respond to a request for comment or examples.
Tim Miller, a Definers co-partner, said in an email Thursday that Pishevar's accusations are "completely false."
"His claims are delusional, we have never engaged in any of the actions he outlined in this complaint, and Definers has never done any work with regards to Mr Pishevar," he said.
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