American Politician Gets Banned From EVE Online

Brian Schoeneman, a lawyer and career politician working as a lobbyist in Virginia, also served on the Council of Stellar Management (CSM), the elected representative body of the EVE Online universe, under the name Brisc Rubal.

That is, until he was permabanned from the game and was unseated from the CSM for, in the developers’ words, “sharing confidential information with a member of his alliance that was later used by another alliance member to conduct illicit in-game transactions.”

Treachery and subterfuge are the bread and butter of EVE Online, but the CSM is not like the rest of the game. This closed body operates in close communications with EVE Online developers, and agree to a binding non-disclosure agreement when they begin to serve. Other members of CSM tipped off the developers about Rubal’s alleged inside information dealings.

For the record, Schoeneman/Rubal denies all the actions against him, taking to Reddit (naturally) to air his side of the story, stating in part, “I will fight these false allegations, restore my reputation and seek all avenues for recourse available to me for these reckless actions.”

Kotaku points out that Schoeneman/Rubal has referenced his meatspace political career as a campaign point for why he should serve on the CSM on many occasions. He even made a campaign video that we could describe, but honestly must be seen to be believed:

Schoeneman/Rubal is appealing the ban decision. Two other players, who received Rubal’s inside information, were given one-year bans for making use of what Rubal gave them. However, due to the sensitive and confidential nature of the scandal, players not in the loop may never know what really happened.