A lawsuit filed against several Cookies employees, including CEO Berner, alleging that they used threats, violence and financial kickbacks to enrich themselves at the expense of company shareholders, has been “voluntarily” dismissed, according to a statement from Cookies Retail Products, LLC (CRP) CEO Paul Rock.
“CRP has voluntarily dismissed all suits and claims, and expresses a sincere regret for any misunderstandings CRP’s allegations may have caused. CRP has sought to seal and dismiss any such allegations in order to preserve the integrity of the COOKIES brand and partnership,” the company said.
CRP cast blame on “certain third parties” who influenced the company “to file suit based upon allegations that we learned were not true”.
CRP also blamed the news media as well. “Cookies retail products became aware of the coverage referencing CRP’s previously filed suit in Los Angeles Superior court and the use of paraphrased excerpts from such filing to cast a negative light on the COOKIES brand and its CEO and co-founder,” the company said. “We at CRP consider this mischaracterization of our own closed legal action to be shameful and opportunistic.”
A story by GreenMarketReport on April 25th included a copy of the entire lawsuit from which such “paraphrased excerpts” can be excerpted from. The identity of “certain third parties” who wield such influence over Rock and CRP has not yet been disclosed.
Rock’s original lawsuit claimed $38 million in damages. An attempt to contact the CRP CEO by MJBizDaily on Monday was unsuccessful in gaining further insight into the matter. Rock said he was “in the shower” and could not comment.
As was reported in Global Cannabis Times on April 27th, Berner refuted the claims on a 4/20 Instagram video, calling the suits “bullshit”, and adding that they were brought forth at the same time he was fighting Stage 3 colon cancer.
CRP now say that they are unaware of any unethical behavior by Berner or Cookies’ management and have never implicated or named Berner in any action.
“A bunch of stuff popped up online last week,” Berner said on Instagram Monday in regard to the CRP statement. “It feels good to set the record straight on this one”
A second separate suit, filed against Berner and Cookies employees, by two other investors is still pending.