Trump Pardons Former Google Engineer Convicted of Self-Driving Trade Secret Theft
Former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski receives a full presidential pardon after serving time for stealing driverless car trade secrets. The move has backing from notable tech figures including Peter Thiel and Palmer Luckey.
President Donald Trump issues a full pardon to Anthony Levandowski, the former Google engineer who receives an 18-month prison sentence for stealing self-driving car trade secrets. Levandowski transfers thousands of confidential files before leaving Google to found a startup called Otto, which Uber later acquires. The sentencing judge describes the incident as the biggest trade secret crime he has ever seen.
The White House lists tech billionaire Peter Thiel and Oculus founder Palmer Luckey as prominent supporters of the pardon. Trump praises Levandowski as a brilliant, groundbreaking engineer that the country needs, noting that he already pays a significant price for his actions. Levandowski expresses gratitude on social media, stating that he and his family are thankful for the opportunity to move forward.
The legal saga causes massive financial fallout for Levandowski, who declares bankruptcy in March after a court orders him to pay $179 million to Google over his split with Waymo. Uber and Waymo settle their separate civil dispute in 2018, but Levandowski faces criminal charges independently after Uber fires him in 2017. He now plans to devote his talents to advance the public good following his pardon.