The chief executive of San Diego cybersecurity start-up PacketSled Inc. has resigned after election night posts on social media about assassinating President-elect Donald Trump.

Matt Harrigan, who founded PacketSled in 2013, wrote the comments on his Facebook account as election night unfolded. The account has since been deleted, but his comments were copied and posted on the website Reddit.

On Monday, Packetsled issued a statement saying Harrigan had been placed on leave. It announced Tuesday that it had accepted his resignation and is searching for a replacement.

“PacketSled takes recent comments made by our CEO seriously,” it said Monday. “Once we were made aware of these comments, we immediately reported this information to the Secret Service and will cooperate fully with any inquiries.”


Harrigan’s posts on election night included one saying, “I’m going to kill the president. Elect,” according to the Reddit copy of his Facebook comments..

After a friend responded “You just need to get high,” Harrigan wrote, “Nope, getting a sniper rifle and perching myself where it counts. Find a bedroom in the White House that suits you…. I’ll find you.”

On Sunday, Harrigan turned to Twitter to apologize, saying his comments were meant as a joke.

“My humble apologies that a flawed joke has become public/out of context. My poor judgement does not represent the views of @packetsled customers, investors or the officers of @packetsled,” Harrigan wrote in a series of tweets. “I have no malicious intention towards the #POTUS, and apologize to all for my lack of judgement and offensive commentary. I wish you all well.”


Efforts to reach Harrigan and PacketSled were unsuccessful. The company makes forensics software that detects where a cyberattack is coming from, what files are being targeted and which devices are being affected, among other things.

The company raised $5 million in a first round of venture capital funding in July, led by San Diego’s Keshif Ventures, with Blu Ventures and JHS Ventures participating.

mike.freeman@sduniontribune.com

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UPDATES:


Nov. 15, 9:25 a.m.: This article was updated with Harrigan’s resignation.

This article was originally published Nov. 14 at 2:15 p.m.