This sounds like a lotta bad blood between owners in a league spilling out into the open. Bad trades happen all the time - as others have said that doesn’t equate to collusion. Sometimes people don’t open sitemails - or at least not all of them when looking at offers.
there have been a lot of people I respect who’re in the league and while they agree the trade wasn’t the best, you’re alone in your feelings of collusion and slander against epup. Epup is an owner who has garnered nothing but respect from me over the many years we’ve played together.
being a commissioner is hard work. Not only the running of drafts and compiling available player lists, but in trying to manage the opinions, frustrations, and outcries from the 15-23 other owners in the league. I know I’ve made mistakes as commish, sometimes changing course too suddenly after knee jerk reactions, but I always try to maintain an open league that allows for owners to post concerns/opinions in the league forum or through sitemail. However, If an owner is just trying to disrupt the league and isn’t posting for any benefit, I’ve sitemailed owners asking that they vent their frustrations to me through sitemail rather than muddy the league chats. I’m not in the league, it I can definitely understand why epup felt the need to ask you to stop posting, and there’s a lot more to it than just the issue being discussed.
I hope both sides are able to come to an peaceful understanding. Threads like this don’t do any good for the site, this league, or progressive leagues in general imo - maybe having an off-season veto measure that allows owners to object to trades even when not in the league will help all parties involved. Measures of that nature can slow a draft down tremendously though if it’s concerning draft picks that get put on hold.