djos wrote: ↑03 Mar 2024, 04:03
If it was legit, it would have been presented as part of the accusation, and Horner would have been found guilty and fired.
How do you know it wasn't presented as part of the accusation? In fact, German media reported that screenshots of text messages *were* submitted as evidence.
djos wrote: ↑03 Mar 2024, 04:03
The pictures and screen shots have been stripped of their EXIF data. Google Drive does not do this IME, you need to intentionally do this.
I tested taking screen shots on my iPhone and on my Mac. iOS, windows and macOS all had a little bit of EXIF data, not none at all.
I think we've been over this enough: both legitimate leakers and fakers would have reason to remove EXIF data. It does not prove or disprove the authenticity of these screenshots.
djos wrote: ↑03 Mar 2024, 04:03
But this is all speculation based on observations, going back to my original point. If this info was real and it was provided as part of the complaint, Horner should have been found guilty and fired.
*Should* is a very different thing than *would*. Yes, it's very possible that Horner *should* have been fired. Why do you think lots of people in F1 are extremely unhappy about the lack of transparency about the investigation and are demanding more info, both in the media and behind the scenes? Red Bull is owned by a Thai businessman who very likely helped his son escape from the authorities after killing a cop. And by all accounts, he very much backs Horner. He was even at the race today, unlike the other shareholders including Oliver Mintzlaff. Now, I'm not suggesting that I think it's likely that the Thai owner called Red Bull and instructed them to end the investigation, but given that Red Bull merely stated that the complaint was dismissed and offered no other explanation, we simply don't know! I don't think saying that he would have been fired if these messages were real, but he wasn't fired, therefore the messages can't be real, is a very good argument. I can think of a bunch of explanations why Red Bull dismissed the complaint despite there being grounds for firing Horner.
djos wrote: ↑03 Mar 2024, 04:03
This investigation was done by a high priced lawyer, so I find it hard to believe he would risk damage to his own reputation and career by ignoring legitimate evidence. This leads me to believe the contents of the Google Drive are not legitimate evidence.
The lawyer was in charge of investigating and submitting a report. He would not have been in charge of making a decision based on that report.
djos wrote: ↑03 Mar 2024, 04:03
Honestly, if Horner is guilty, then he deserve to be fired and face legal sanctions. If not, the person or persons behind this should be charged with fraud.
I'm not an expert in UK or Austrian law, but it is generally very hard to bring charges against someone if the conduct can be proven to be mutual. If Horner consistently made sexually charged statements toward her that created a difficult work environment there might be criminal liability, but if it is more akin to a workplace affair that both parties had a part in instigating then it is highly unlikely. I'm not saying it's not wrong behavior for someone in a position of power to pursue a suborninate employee who's ability to freely consent is likely incapacitated, whether explicitly or implicitly, this is an area of the law that 1. hasn't caught up to today's views of what is acceptable and 2. is inherently problematic in that is almost always produces a "he said she said" situation.