Benzinga | Dec 14, 2021 03:30PM EST

US Labor Department To Probe Apple Over Whistleblower Counterattack

The U.S. Department of Labor is investigating Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) over alleged retaliation against a whistleblower, Financial Times reports.

* Ashley Gjovik, 35, served as a senior engineering program manager for six years.

* Apple fired her for allegedly leaking confidential information in September.

* The employee complained of workplace harassment and unsafe working conditions.

* Gjovik, who regularly tweeted about her allegations of harassment, surveillance, and workplace safety issues, alleged dismissal under a false pretext following numerous complaints that led to more than a dozen instances of retaliation, including job reassignment.

* The labor department confirmed its investigation in a letter to Gjovik.

* Gjovik's original complaints stemmed from mid-March, when she cited "chemical exposure" concerns at her Apple office in Sunnyvale, California. "They intimidated me not to speak about my safety concerns," Gjovik alleged.

* Gjovik pointed to a potential conflict of interest regarding Apple audit committee Chair Ronald Sugar who previously served as the CEO of Northrop Grumman Corp (NYSE:NOC). Northrop was responsible for the dump and maintenance of waste materials beneath the Sunnyvale office.

* Related Content: Key Takeaways From Facebook Whistleblower's Senate Appearance

* Price Action: AAPL shares traded lower by 0.37% at $175.09 on the last check Tuesday.