Opposition research targets tech candidate Ethan Agarwal

The congressional race in California’s CA-17 district is intensifying as anonymous opposition research—the political practice of gathering information about an opponent—surfaces regarding challenger Ethan Agarwal’s legal history. Agarwal, a tech founder who entered the race in March, is challenging five-term incumbent Ro Khanna. Agarwal is backed by a roster of prominent tech billionaires, largely in response to Khanna’s support for a proposed California ballot measure that would impose a one-time 5% tax on residents worth more than $1 billion. In his campaign, Agarwal is criticizing Khanna’s stock trades while in office, primarily focusing on his trading practices.

As the primary election approaches in early June, newsrooms have received anonymous packages of digital court documents detailing Agarwal’s past legal disputes. The leaked files highlight several legal and financial issues:

• A $683,000 personal judgment against Agarwal following a copyright dispute. This judgment stemmed from a $2 million copyright settlement with Universal Music Group, which had accused his company Aaptiv — a workout app that paired audio coaching with licensed music — of using its recordings without permission.
• A landlord lawsuit seeking nearly $2 million, which was filed in 2023.
• A 2019 federal lawsuit brought by Malibu Media, in which Agarwal was sued for downloading lots of porn. Malibu Media is a company widely criticized as a legal shakedown operation that filed thousands of similar lawsuits across the country.

The landlord lawsuit was later dropped, and the Malibu Media case settled without any court finding of liability.

Agarwal addressed the disclosures after the New York Post ran a headline about the 2019 lawsuit on Friday. Responding on social media, Agarwal, a tech founder and political candidate, stated, “I think transparency and authenticity is important among political candidates. We’re people. We’re not perfect. Yes, this is embarrassing. But now you know my worst thing.” Prominent investor Chamath Palihapitiya, who backs Agarwal, characterized the leak as a sign of political anxiety, telling Agarwal that the opposition research had started because he may win and Khanna is starting to get worried.

Why it matters

The CA-17 race highlights how Silicon Valley’s political ambitions are increasingly colliding with the scrutiny of traditional electoral politics, as tech-backed candidates face aggressive opposition research.