Glenn Greenwald's Friend and Former Business Partner Defends Him

We told you about Glenn Greenwald, who is currently living in Brazil, and how he was responsible for the Edward Snowden NSA leaks scandal in his Guardian columns that has gripped the world and generated countless international newspaper headlines. But we haven't delved into the NY Daily News story after they put out a scathing feature about him and his connection to the gay adult entertainment industry, essentially painting him as a smut peddler. Then BuzzFeed did its own, slightly nicer, version.

And of course, in the process of all of this reporting and digging, it turns out the reporters have uncovered his business partner, Jake Jaxson, whose legal name is Jason Buchtel. Now Buchtel has penned a long Tumblr post that explains his relationship with Greenwald and reveals how this has ruined his relationship with his religious parents (since it was a secret he kept from them).

As Buchtel writes:

"I remember when I first started working with Glenn, we were both at a crossroads in our lives. It was clear he needed me and I needed him. When I asked him what he hoped to accomplish, he said without hesitation, 'to change the world!'"

He then goes on to explain that he had a "dirty little secret" as an adult filmmaker. As he explains:

"With Master Notions, the company I co-owned with Glenn, we were on the forefront of developing online 'street' and viral marketing, and we had taken on a few adult clients. The online adult space at the time was going through a bit of a transformation, with a new entrepreneurial mindset that wanted to create marketing strategies that were customer service friendly--not that bait-and-switch mentality it was known for. I really enjoyed being able to work in a strategic space that had no boundaries, where we could see immediately what worked and what did not work--not the long tail approach to more traditional marketing. It was only a matter of time before my partners and I saw that running our own customer friendly adult sites--built on customer satisfaction and loyalty--was a lucrative business. So we began acquiring properties in the adult space and CockyBoys.com is now the crown jewel."

Although Greenwald is no longer associated, Jason Buchtel is running the show with his boyfriends. As he states:

"Now, as CEO and lead director, I'm fully dedicated to the healthy, creative, and erotic exploration of gay sex. I love merging elements of traditional pornography with reality TV, documentary, and non-linear storytelling. I mostly enjoy the guerrilla approach to producing and directing - especially collaborations that push the limits of sexual understanding, art, and commerce. I want to see how far I can go to create a new gay adult paradigm, my ultimate goal being to help remove the stigma attached to the young men who choose to creatively express themselves through their bodies, mind, and sexuality."

As some may recall, Jason was profiled in a New York magazine feature by writer Molly Young for its sex issue last summer about his three-way relationship (only his first name was used). In that piece he's described as "40 and from a conservative southern background." So why is Jason Buchtel being dragged into it? Because reporters were "connecting the dots" and wanted to find out if Greenwald had other shady dealings. It's a fascinating facet of this ongoing story, even if it's tangential. But it does show another form of power: How gay guys are transforming the world--and using technology to do it--one big byte at a time.