Steve Ballmer seeks dismissal from Aspiration fraud lawsuit

Cbssports reports that attorneys for Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit brought by 11 former Aspiration investors alleging they were defrauded by co-founder Joseph Sanberg, according to court documents obtained by ESPN. Ballmer was added to the complaint in November after Pablo Torre's podcast connected him to Aspiration, with allegations he funneled money through the company to circumvent the salary cap and provide additional payments to Kawhi Leonard via a no‑show sponsorship deal.

The Nov. 3 complaint said, "Plaintiffs would not have invested and/or kept their investment in (Aspiration) if Ballmer and Sanberg had disclosed the true nature of Ballmer's investment," and added, "Ballmer thus supported and participated in Sanberg's fraud." Ballmer and the Clippers have denied involvement and said he was defrauded by Sanberg like other investors.

On Monday, Ballmer's attorneys moved to dismiss his inclusion, writing the investors acted "in (the investors') zeal to recover assets swindled by Sanberg from anybody with the means to pay." The filing said "there are no facts demonstrating an agreement between Ballmer and Sanberg to engage in salary cap circumvention," and reiterated that Ballmer was defrauded.

Key Topics

Sports, Steve Ballmer, Aspiration, Joseph Sanberg, Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers