Attorney Mike Subit was recently quoted in Seattle Weekly News, as he explained the legalities of a situation involving Amazon spokesperson Jay Carney. Mike was originally quoted in a piece that discussed Amazon’s questionable working conditions and employee treatment. Carney responded to the article in a blog post that had many people raising eyebrows and questioning whether or not he could legally state such things.

In this recent blog post, Carney shared some questionable information about a former employee that was speaking ill of the company. Carney claimed that the former employee could not be trusted because the grounds on which he left Amazon were based on falsifying records and fraud. Even though Carney has made these claims, there is no actual evidence to back up these claims.

Seattle Weekly News reached out to Frank Freed Subit & Thomas LLP to help clarify whether or not Carney could legally disclose such intimate details about a former employee. Attorney Mike Subit explained that even though most large companies stay away from disclosing such details, Carney technically was within his right to reveal it. However, in doing so, Carney puts himself at risk of being sued for defamation. The former employee could have a case against Carney if he feels as if this information was misrepresented and cost them job opportunities.

Unfortunately, as unfair as this breach of information may seem, the former employee may not have a strong case against Carney. Due to non-disclosure agreements, former employees are unable to disclose information about a company’s business practices. Even though the former employee has a case it may be difficult to win, due to Amazon’s rights to privacy and operations—difficult, but not impossible.

For more information about former employee privacy or whether you may have a case against a former employer, contact Frank Freed Subit & Thomas LLP today.