Why is the tech press so bad? Maybe because some of its leading lights openly trade coverage for favors.

Michael Arrington just issued an info dump on his personal blog to go after his ex, Jenn Allen, who accused him of rape.

TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington has strongly denied a host of recent public allegations from an ex-girlfriend, former colleagues, and former friends that he has a history of violent behavior toward women. The string of claims began late last month with a Facebook post leveled by his ex-girlfriend, Jenn Allen, who wrote that Arrington had assaulted and threatened to kill her. Gawker followed up last week with a story reporting on claims from a former co-worker that Arrington was investigated by a former employer for assaulting a female colleague, as well as claims from that he threw an ex-girlfriend into a wall.

When TechCrunch founder turned venture capitalist Mike Arrington was accused last week of rape and abuse by an ex-girlfriend, many in Silicon Valley were shocked, but not entirely surprised. This is because rumors that Arrington abused women have circulated almost from the time he started his career in the tech industry. Gawker has learned of two previous instances, a decade apart, in which Arrington was accused of violent, abusive behavior towards women. One—in which a coworker and ex-girlfriend accused him of assaulting her in a hotel room—resulted in an internal investigation by his then-employer. In the other incident, he allegedly threw a different girlfriend against a wall. Neither episode ended in any real fallout for Arrington.

The Silicon Valley tech press has been largely silent on the serious allegations of rape and physical abuse leveled against TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington by his ex-girlfriend Jenn Allen. But a former friend of Arrington's is now speaking out to say he believes Allen's story and has heard similar ones before.

Facebook hasn't been kind to Facebook investor and TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington lately. The notorious tech thug was accused by his ex-girlfriend Jenn Allen of physical abuse and death threats in a Facebook post last week, as we were the first to report. (Later, in comments on Gawker, she accused him of rape; Arrington hasn't responded to our requests for comment.) Today, apparently in response to that post and the shards of rumor that have begun surfacing in its wake (which we are busily running down), Arrington's estranged friend and former business partner Jason Calacanis has taken to Facebook to reminisce on their relationship and endorse the ugly picture of Arrington that is emerging. It's by no means the first time Calacanis has lit into Arrington; the two have a very contentious history. The post—which doesn't name Arrington, but is obviously and transparently addressed to him—is published below in full.

Tech titan and TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington is known for his virtual outbursts and high temper when it comes to Silicon Valley drama, and his yacht. But an ex-girlfriend now claims that Arrington was violent toward her in real life, and threatened to "murder" her if she told anyone.

All TechCrunch founder Michael Arrington wanted was a simple life, with a simple boat, so that he might draw out his remaining days in peaceful aquatic seclusion. Chartering retired couples and young honeymooners on day trips, resolving the quarrels of local fisherman, nibbling on sponge cake and watching the sun bake all of those tourists covered in oil. He was done with the game, and he thought the game was done with him.

Arianna Huffington pushed out TechCrunch founder Mike Arrington in September, cementing her role as AOL's one true blog master. Now the slow gutting of TechCrunch continues.

Surprise, surprise: Michael Arrington is in another internal fight at AOL. But this time the TechCrunch founder isn't slamming a sibling blog; he's dissing his own, and what some mystery middle manager or sales guy has done to it.

Earlier today, YouTube founder and CEO Chad Hurley accepted a Facebook friend request—from Google CEO Eric Schmidt. The email address was legit, so the account must've been too, right? Nope: "Schmidt" was actually TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington.

Usually if an employee quits to pursue another exciting opportunity, it is a time of celebration. Not for Mahalo CEO Jason Calacanis. One of his employees sent out a super nice resignation letter. Calacanis' response: "Horribly disappointed in you."

High revenues and relatively low costs have made TechCrunch 50 the envy of its rivals, competing tech conferences like Demo and the Wall Street Journal's D. If only its founders could stop fighting like rabid dogs.

Remember Daniel Brusilovsky, the 16-year-old startup CEO and TechCrunch contributor with 120,000 Twitter followers? The poor kid just threw it all away for a MacBook Air.

Traveling abroad is dangerous for the media. Take TechCrunch's Sarah Lacy for instance. She's in Rwanda, writing a book or something, when a baboon attacked her breakfast. Thankfully, she works for Michael Arrington, so she has experience handling deranged primates.

Tech commentator Leo LaPorte and TechCrunch's Michael Arrington were doing yesterday's Gillmor Gang show when Arrington provoked LaPorte over free-product disclosures. LaPorte freaked out and shut down the show, but not before spewing colorful invective at Arrington first.

TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington, left distraught after a stranger spat on him at a tech conference in Munich, promised he'd take February off. Two days in, he's having a hard time leaving the Internet.

Fame has always had its downsides. But Internet fame, like the kind TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington has accumulated, provides all the downsides and very few advantages. Now he wants to go into hiding.

The Twitterati did not have a good day. Professional web personality Amanda Congdon hates racists, crackpot visionary Jeff Jarvis still hates the media, but TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington is hated most of all!

Having famously "plowed through" San Francisco's eligible bachelorettes, Digg founder Kevin Rose went L.A. for his most recent paramour, Shira Lazar. Who is this Web-video wannabe with links to Dov Charney and Julia Allison?