GamrConnect, Brett Walton: Website Issues - GameJournos.com: Breach of ethics by VGChartz editorial staff? [September 12th, 2011]

UPDATE: Brett has edited his post yet again, this time posting actual, proper lies.

Fun fact: It’s actually illegal to withhold payment in the US. Although it differs from state to state, the law in Indiana (where Jackmovich resides) is quite clear:

An employer may not deduct or withhold wages from an employees wages or accept an assignment from an employee of their wages, unless it is:

• in writing;
• signed by the employee personally;
• by its terms revocable at any time by the employee upon written notice to the employer; and
• agreed to in writing by the employer.

An employee can only consent to deductions from his or her pay check if it falls into a  certain category of deduction, including:

• premiums on an insurance policy;
• contributions to a charitable organization;
• purchase price of bonds, securities or stock of the employing company;
• labor union dues;
• purchase price of merchandise sold by the employer to the employee;
• amount of loan made to the employee by the employer;
• contributions of the employee to a hospital service or medical expense plan; and
• payment to an employee’s direct deposit account.

[Source: EmploymentLawHandbook.com]

I’ll be going into more detail regarding Joseph’s departure from the site in tomorrow’s VGChartz infodump. I’ll also be mailing the full emails available in a downloadable zip file.

Edit: I’m informed that Brett may already have made edits to the GamrConnect post I’m quoting above, so here’s a screengrab of the post just in case.

Edit II: So, you know that bit where Brett admits to breaking employment law? Well apparently that was the first edit. He put that in himself! Of his own free will! Isn’t that bonkers? Anyway, it’s not reflected in my screengrab linked above, which was taken before the edit was made, so here’s a screengrab with that bit included. Y’know, just in case he decides to take it out again.

[Corrected minor typos.]