Wal-Mart sues over trade secret 'leak'

NEW YORK, April 9 (UPI) -- Wal-Mart has sued a fired in-house business security worker for allegedly leaking trade secrets in articles published in The Wall Street Journal.

The retail giant fired Bruce Gabbard last month for taping calls between a Wal-Mart executive and a New York Times reporter.

But, after he left, company officials said they feared he had information about a secret plan to boost sagging stock price, the Journal said Monday, A judge granted a restraining order barring Gabbard from disclosing confidential information.

The disputed material, called "Project Red," included, among other things, a possible spinoff of Wal-Mart's Sam's Club warehouse-store unit.