A few days ago we learned that a now former Tesla employee caused "quite extensive and damaging sabotage" against the company all because he was passed over for promotion. CEO Elon Musk sent an email to employees last Sunday informing them of the saboteur and reiterated the importance of proving Wall Street short-sellers and big oil wrong with continued hard work. According to a CNBC follow up report, Tesla not only identified that employee but has now sued him for theft and making false claims to the media.

Former process technician Martin Tripp was sued by his former employer in Nevada on Wednesday. The suit states that Trip "has thus far admitted to writing software that hacked Tesla's manufacturing operations ('MOS') and to transferring several gigabytes of Tesla data to outside entities." That data wasn't just company picnic photos but rather "dozens of confidential photographs and a video of Tesla's manufacturing systems." Furthermore, Tripp is accused of writing computer code designed to export the company's data to outsiders. On top of all of that, the suit alleges Tripp made false statements to the media to inflict even further harm.

"For example, Tripp claimed that punctured battery cells had been used in certain Model 3 vehicles even though no punctured cells were ever used in vehicles, batteries or otherwise," the suit said. "Tripp also vastly exaggerated the true amount and value of 'scrap' material that Tesla generated during the manufacturing process, and falsely claimed that Tesla was delayed in bringing new manufacturing equipment online." So why did Tripp not receive that desired promotion? For starters, his workplace behavior.Tesla claims he was combative and disruptive with fellow employees. In short, he was a pain in the ass, but smart enough to have a job at Tesla.

Instead of promoting him, he was reassigned to a new position. Evidently Tripp was not happy with that and retaliated. He can now add his short-lived career as a corporate saboteur to his resume.