The Untold Story of Google’s Secret Weapon

Joshua Wright, known as the tech industry's indispensable fixer, experienced a dramatic fall from grace following a career marked by significant influence in academia and government.

This story began to unravel in late 2019 when Wright was summoned by his boss at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a law firm renowned for defending tech giants like Google and Qualcomm. The pivotal question he faced was whether he was having an affair with a young associate. Wright’s response would not only affect his career but also reveal a series of ethical breaches that undermined his professional standing.

Wilson Sonsini, a Silicon Valley-based firm, had long relied on Wright's expertise to shield major corporations from regulatory scrutiny. Wright, a law professor and former Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioner, was considered a secret weapon for these companies. O

ver more than a decade, he helped tech behemoths like Google and Facebook amass unprecedented economic power by keeping antitrust regulators at bay. His influence stemmed from his dual roles in academia and government, and his work benefited from substantial financial contributions from these corporations to his academic posts at George Mason University.

However, the question about Wright’s affair triggered a cascade of revelations. Wright denied the affair, but an investigation revealed that he had a years-long sexual relationship with Lindsey Edwards, a former student and later an associate at Wilson Sonsini. This disclosure cracked open the facade of Wright’s professional life, exposing his frequent ethical violations and the extent to which he skirted conflict-of-interest standards for personal and financial gain.

During his tenure at the FTC from 2013 to 2015, Wright leveraged his position to limit the use of potent antitrust tools, actions that benefited companies that had financially supported him and his university. His connections with tech executives and government officials enabled him to place romantic partners in influential positions at the FTC, Justice Department, and law firms, often without disclosing these relationships. These actions contravened ethical standards and eventually led to his downfall.

Wright’s denial of his affair with Edwards cost him his position at Wilson Sonsini. However, his professional collapse unfolded over the next three years. Allegations of inappropriate sexual relationships with students at George Mason University led to his divorce and the loss of his academic post. Despite the mounting evidence against him, tech companies that had once fostered his career were the last to sever ties, doing so only after the allegations became public.

Wright’s downfall became public knowledge when several former law students alleged that he used his position to pressure them into sexual relationships. These allegations, detailed in court documents, described how Wright pursued students during or after their time in his contracts class, a mandatory course for first-year law students.

The university hired a law firm to investigate these claims after a Title IX sexual harassment complaint was filed in December 2021. By June 2022, major clients like Google and Facebook were informed of the allegations, leading to Wright’s resignation from George Mason University in July 2023.

The impact on Wright’s career was immediate. After announcing his departure from the university, several former students came forward with their stories, leading his clients to quickly distance themselves. Google, for instance, cut ties upon learning the details of the allegations. Wright responded by filing a defamation lawsuit against two of the women, seeking $108 million in damages. He claimed that the allegations were part of a love triangle, acknowledging consensual relationships but denying any misconduct.

Wright’s professional trajectory had been stellar until these revelations. He grew up in a middle-class family in San Diego, excelled in high school basketball, and pursued an impressive academic path through UCLA and George Mason University. His expertise in law and economics, combined with his ability to simplify complex concepts, earned him significant respect among conservative lawmakers and academics. He commanded substantial fees for his consulting work, earning over $2 million annually from companies like Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

Despite his prominence, Wright often failed to disclose his financial ties to these corporations in his academic work, raising questions about the objectivity of his research. His business-friendly views on antitrust laws carried considerable weight in Washington, D.C., influencing policies that favored his clients. For example, during a critical FTC investigation of Google, Wright published multiple papers and blog posts arguing against the case, often without disclosing Google’s financial support.

Wright’s influence extended to his role in orchestrating defensive strategies for tech companies. For instance, during the FTC’s investigation into Google, Wright was part of a coordinated effort known as Project Eagle. This initiative involved former FTC officials and legal scholars publishing favorable research and engaging with the media to argue against the government's case. Google financially supported this campaign, although Wright and others did not always disclose this backing, further complicating ethical boundaries.

The culmination of Wright’s activities came as the FTC’s Google investigation intensified. Despite strong internal and external pressures, FTC Chair Jon Leibowitz ultimately decided to settle the case, lacking sufficient support to pursue a lawsuit. This outcome reflected the efficacy of Wright’s and his team’s efforts to influence regulatory decisions in favor of their clients.

Wright’s story highlights the complex interplay between academia, government, and corporate interests, illustrating how personal misconduct and ethical lapses can overshadow a distinguished career. His downfall serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of blending personal and professional boundaries and the importance of transparency in maintaining public trust and integrity in regulatory affairs.