Court filings show James Fishback used fake accounts, paid engagement to shape coverage

A federal court exhibit shows gubernatorial candidate James Fishback directing efforts to plant media tips, inflate social media engagement and counter online criticism using fake email and X accounts in his ongoing dispute with his former employer.

The 45-page exhibit, filed in October, is part of a Manhattan lawsuit stemming from Fishback’s split with Greenlight Capital, a hedge fund he worked for as an analyst between early 2021 and August 2023.

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer directed Fishback to produce texts he sent after he split with the company, following a motion by Greenlight to compel them. Engelmayer dismissed part of Fishback’s claim that the communications were a protected attorney work product.

The texts show Fishback, 31, coordinating on May 16, 2024, with his 24-year-old campaign Treasurer Alex Munguia, then the listed COO of Fishback’s failed investment firm, Azoria Capital, which he has since left.

They offer a window into how Fishback sought to manufacture media attention and shape online narratives around himself, recasting potentially damaging coverage as evidence of bias or institutional opposition while amplifying his own claims through coordinated, behind-the-scenes tactics.

Except where understanding the dialogue would otherwise be inhibited, errors in grammar, spelling and syntax have been left intact in quotes below.

One exchange shows Fishback scripting anonymous outreach to journalists in the voice of a supposed Tesla investor upset that Greenlight founder David Einhorn was short the Elon Musk-owned company’s stock.

In an early draft of the email, Fishback had the nonexistent investor tell a reporter that he “boldly called David out on this Tesla short.”

In a refined version alluding to a debate Fishback tried unsuccessfully to get Einhorn to engage him in — which Fishback had Munguia tell reporters was happening, using fake email accounts — Fishback had the faux investor say, “I can’t stand that David is short Tesla again (he disclosed this to me at the party dinner in January). With Tesla planning to unveil robotaxi on August 8, this debate with his ex-trader Fishback (who I’ve met before — smart cookie — he’s a college dropout that david hired) needs to happen.”

A separate exhibit shows Munguia sent the email, verbatim, to Wall Street Journal reporter Gregory Zuckerman from a fictitious Gmail account holder named “Richard Lopez.”

Another exchange shows Fishback directing Munguia to anonymously contact a tip line for The Free Press praising an article Fishback wrote for the outlet and encourage follow-up coverage by him.

The article was also referenced in a guest speaker pitch Fishback had Munguia anonymously send to NBCUniversal staff ahead of a presidential debate.

“Great short piece by Fishback. We desperately need a follow-up where describes exactly what’s gone wrong the past debates,” Fishback told Munguia to write “from the Lopez account.”

In one exchange, Fishback told Munguia to have his father make calls on his behalf because he has “an older voice.” After Munguia said his father would not be comfortable doing so, Fishback responds, “WTF. My dad will do it then. Set it up and ask her for a number to call. Tomorrow morning.”

In another exchange, Fishback directed Munguia to buy 350 likes for an X post Fishback made.

“Use your personal card — use ANON email for the sign up ok?” Fishback wrote. He then instructed Munguia to email a reporter using an anonymous account with a link to the X post, which referenced a since-dismissed lawsuit Fishback filed against Greenlight.

Fishback then told Munguia to respond, from various X accounts, to comments on the platform questioning Fishback’s claim that he held the title of “head of macro” at Greenlight — a job the company has insisted never existed.

To bolster his defense, Fishback sent Munguia a screenshot to use of Greenlight Chief Operating Officer David Roitman referring to Fishback as “our head of macro here” in a May 2023 email.

At one point, Munguia questioned the utility of responding to every negative comment, saying about one, “Sir are you sure these accounts worth responding to? The last one had an anime profile picture lol.”

Fishback responds, “Yes IDC. Respond to each of them. Same way as the others. With link and photo.”

Throughout the day, Munguia appears to be in and out of classes at the University of Florida, where Fishback repeatedly tells him to contact student body leaders on his behalf. After Munguia didn’t respond to the X posts as rapidly as Fishback wanted, Fishback wrote, “Dude… I need this now. We are at war.”

Einhorn was a steady target of Fishback’s ire in the texts. “We will destroy (this) man,” he wrote of Einhorn, to which Munguia responded, “Yessir this needs to happen.”

When Munguia received encouraging responses to requests that an outlet host an on-air debate between Fishback and Einhorn — which, again, Einhorn summarily rejected — Fishback wrote, “OMG I LOVE YOU,” before quickly adding, “No Diddy.”

Munguia then responded, “lol we gonna bring this man down,” to which Fishback replied, “YES WE ARE….!!!!”

Fishback launched his campaign for Governor roughly a month after dozens of exhibits were filed in Greenlight’s ongoing legal battle with him, which has been marked by numerous setbacks and losses for the long shot candidate.

He is running on a mix of economic populism, nationalist policies and culture-war issues. He’s for eliminating property taxes on homesteads, raising teacher pay, restricting immigration and curbing foreign labor, as well as environmental efforts like Everglades restoration.

Alongside those priorities, he has also backed ideas including a total abortion ban, divesting Florida from Israel-linked investments, imposing a steep “sin tax” on OnlyFans creators, and promoting conspiracy theories like the great replacement, which posits that liberal elites are concertedly trying to supplant White populations through immigration and higher minority birth rates.

Last month, Fishback lost an arbitration battle with Greenlight and was lambasted on X after declaring that he would not pay more than $150,000 in fees to his lawyer, Justin Kelton of Abrams Fernsterman, prompting Kelton to seek his removal from the case.

A federal magistrate judge ordered Fishback to pay Greenlight roughly $229,000 in January after he failed to respond to a court-ordered deadline. The court authorized the seizure of Fishback’s assets by the U.S. Marshals Service, including Azoria stock certificates and dozens of personal items described as luxury purchases.

Fishback has said he will not pay the $229,000 judgment.

But his unwillingness to pay his legal fees and court damages may be less about want than wherewithal. He had his Tesla repossessed in November, and campaign finance records show he raised less than $19,000 through the end of 2025 — far below Primary opponents like U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and former House Speaker Paul Renner, who have raised millions.

Much of Fishback’s financial support has come from out-of-state donors, raising additional questions about his viability.

His candidacy also faces potential eligibility concerns. Records show Fishback has been registered to vote in both Florida and Washington, D.C., since 2020, and he owns a homesteaded property in Washington.

Florida law requires gubernatorial candidates to be state residents for at least seven years, a threshold his dual registration and property records could complicate.

Other controversies have drawn further unfavorable attention.

Court filings reviewed by Florida Politics detail allegations from a former fiancée who said she met Fishback as an underage participant in his high school debate program and that he began a relationship with her when he was 27, and she was 17, later harassing her after their breakup.

A judge denied her request for a protective injunction, finding insufficient evidence of stalking or emotional distress, though the underlying allegations were not adjudicated.

In 2022, Broward County Public Schools cut ties with his organization, Incubate Debate, over the allegations after a parent, student and Advisory Board member reported concerns to the district about him having an “inappropriate relationship with a minor.”

Fishback has denied wrongdoing and called the accusations false.

Fishback has also faced backlash for inflammatory rhetoric and associations. He has repeatedly used racially charged language to describe Donalds, who is Black, calling him a “slave” to his political donors and referring to him as “By-rone.” In February, Fishback campaigned in Miami alongside internet personalities associated with the so-called “manosphere,” who are known for espousing antisemitic and extremist views.

Last week, Fishback was caught on camera telling a Black voter who confronted him about his alleged relationship with a minor, “You should be lynched for talking about me like that.”

Polling this year from both Mason-Dixon and Fabrizio Lee & Associates shows Donalds leading the Republican Primary with at least a fivefold advantage over his closest competitor.

Patriot Polling queried likely voters through late January and found Donalds with 37% support compared to 23% for Fishback. Among voters 18-29, the conservative survey firm found Fishback with a 5-percentage-point lead over Donalds in the poll.