Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) today announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has decided not to bring charges against its employee, Dr. Jing Xue, and has decided not to continue the investigation. The investigation had been instigated by allegations of trade secret theft pushed by Wisk, a Boeing joint venture.
Wisk’s allegations against Dr. Xue are the central feature of its civil lawsuit against Archer in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. Moreover, it was Wisk that reported Dr. Xue to the FBI which, in response to Wisk’s report, sent a team of agents to knock down Dr. Xue’s front door.
“We are pleased with the expeditious and thorough nature of the investigation that was conducted and the decision not to pursue charges against Dr. Xue” Archer’s Chief Legal Officer, Andy Missan said. “We believe the U.S. Attorney’s decision strikes at the very heart of Wisk’s trade secret allegations against Archer and reinforces what we have said all along: that Boeing’s joint venture, Wisk, misused the judicial and criminal justice systems for the sole purpose of stifling innovation. We find these kinds of anti-competitive tactics by big business deeply disturbing.”
“Wisk’s allegations of ‘brazen theft’ and ‘wholesale’ misappropriation made against this employee were gravely serious, and have serious consequences” Missan explained. “At a minimum, such allegations should have been backed up by evidence. This outcome serves as further confirmation of what we’ve asserted from the outset of this case: Wisk’s claims lack any factual basis.”
Archer looks forward to continuing to defend itself and its employees against Wisk’s baseless claims in the civil case and to holding Wisk and its related parties accountable for their behavior in this matter.
About Archer
Archer’s mission is to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. Archer’s goal is to move people throughout the world's cities in a quick, safe, sustainable, and cost-effective manner. Archer is designing and developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for use in urban air mobility networks. Archer's team is based in Palo Alto, CA. To learn more, visit www.archer.com.
Source: Archer
Text: ArcherIR
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Contacts
For Media
Louise Bristow
louise.bristow@archer.com
archer@launchsquad.com