Uber Threatens to Fire Self-Driving Car Executive

Uber Technologies Inc. has threatened to fire Anthony Levandowski, the top driverless-car engineer at the center of its legal battle with Google parent Alphabet Inc., if he doesn't comply with a court order to turn over any files that he might have.

Uber sent Mr. Levandowski a four-page letter Monday saying he must comply with a court order issued last week that requires him to return 14,000 allegedly stolen files and an extensive accounting of any Uber employees' handling or knowledge of the files.

Mr. Levandowski, a former Alphabet engineer who joined Uber last year to run its driverless-car program, has repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights in the case, declining to comment and refusing to turn over documents.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled last week that Mr. Levandowski's use of the Fifth Amendment doesn't bar Uber from firing him, and that the company shouldn't "pull any punches" in compelling him to surface more information around the allegedly stolen files.

Uber's letter to Mr. Levandowski was revealed in a motion his attorneys filed with the court late Thursday that asks the judge to revise his ruling that Uber could fire Mr. Levandowski for invoking the Fifth Amendment.

Uber and Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving car unit, declined to comment. Attorneys representing Mr. Levandowski didn't respond to a request for comment.

Write to Jack Nicas at jack.nicas@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 19, 2017 01:53 ET (05:53 GMT)