These links are here for context so you can weigh in for yourself.
I made it a point to deliberate on weighing in and get as much information as I could so I could form an opinion after hearing from the two main people involved. To be honest, I didn't want to comment or further comment on the allegations out of fear of fueling drama, but, as Steemit's de facto LGBT issues commentator, I needed to comment. I believe Aaron Ansuini and don't want other young trans people to fall victim to Chase Ross.
While I do think that the financial component was overblown, these issues could have been easily remedied by hiring an accountant or a tax person. The artists who created for Ross also needed clearer terms with regard to the contract between the artist and himself. That means Ross would need to spell out, in clear terms, how much the artist would be paid and when the money would come. Whether or not these terms are ambiguous for Ross's benefit or not I do not know.
I read and reread the apology to catch what I would consider a red flag in an apology and I found them. Ross did acknowledge Ansuini's feelings, but, to me, it came off as being obviously self-preservational rather than a genuine apology that would lead to better actions in the future. Based on his comment on having intrusive thoughts, it seems possible that he used these thoughts to rationalize abusing Ansuini or that he revealed them in a way that is inherently abusive and/or threatening. As such, it is possible that this connection will open up a can of worms for people who experience intrusive thoughts, even with my best efforts to make it clear that not all people with mental illnesses are abusive and that intrusive thoughts usually don't lend themselves to abusing.
Another red flag was that he diverted attention from apologizing for his actions to Kalvin Garrah potentially making a video about the allegations. Transtrender reactions aside, diverting attention to another creator's actions comes off as fishy. Ansuini provided photo evidence and responded directly to specific instances, which makes his evidence more compelling. All in all, after this investigation of sorts, please make sure young trans people avoid Chase Ross. I don't want people to send him death threats, but, if you're young and trans, this man is not what he appears to be, so go support Aaron Ansuini, Kalvin Garrah, Storm Ryan, Blaire White, ContraPoints, Ollie Chadra, Miss London, or Stef Sanjati just to name a few.
Binder Giveaway Program so you don't have to go through Chase Ross: http://point5cc.com/chest-binder-donation/