Fanatics fires back at DraftKings’ claims of corporate espionage [Video]

Sports merchandise giant Fanatics is firing back against sportsbook giant DraftKings in an ongoing legal fight over Fanatics’ hiring of a top DraftKings executive.

In a legal brief filed late Thursday in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts, Fanatics accuses DraftKings of distorting reality and character assassination of its former senior vice president of business development, Michael Hermalyn.

In February, Hermalyn accepted a position as the president of Fanatics VIP and head of Fanatics’ Los Angeles office. He reports directly to CEO Michael Rubin.

DraftKings is suing Hermalyn in federal court, arguing he downloaded confidential company documents and tried to recruit other employees away from DraftKings.

Fanatics alleges in its filing that DraftKings has a “culture of retribution” and is making an example of Hermalyn to instill fear in other “DK employees looking to jump ship.”

By its count, 186 DraftKings employees have applied to work at Fanatics since the company announced in 2021 …