Apple Exec Cleared of Bribery Charge

A California state judge has dismissed bribery charges that were brought against one of Apple’s top compliance executives last year, saying the case lacked merit and that the executive, Tom Moyer, never should have been indicted in the first place. 

Moyer was one of four men indicted by a grand jury in Santa Clara, Calif., in November 2020. According to the Santa Clara County district attorney, Moyer had offered 200 iPads to a local sheriff’s office in exchange for concealed weapons permits Moyer wanted to obtain for his team. 

On Tuesday, however, Santa Clara superior court judge Eric Geffon issued an order dismissing the case. The grand jury, Geffon wrote, “could not have reasonably concluded that Moyer had a corrupt intent” because Moyer did not act “wrongfully to gain an advantage.”

Moyer

At the time of the incident, Moyer was head of global security for Apple — so one can see how he might reasonably need to secure concealed weapons permits for his subordinates. According to an article in the Washington Post, Moyer’s attorney says Moyer has been on a leave of absence from Apple, and plans to return to work after his exoneration.

Moyer has been head of security for Apple since 2018. He previously had been the company’s chief compliance officer since 2009.

So what happened here? According to a statement last fall from Santa Clara district attorney Jeff Rosen, Moyer met with the sheriff’s department in February 2019 to obtain four concealed carry permits for Apple employees. 

Undersheriff Rick Sung and Capt. James Jensen, however, withheld the four weapons permits and “managed to extract from Moyer a promise that Apple would donate iPads to the sheriff’s office.” Moyer allegedly agreed to provide 200 iPads worth roughly $70,000. A concealed carry permit in Santa Clara County costs roughly $200 to $400.

Judge Geffon, however, noted that the only evidence to support that argument was an email Moyer sent to himself during his meeting with the sheriff’s office, which consisted of “iPad Donation” in the subject line and no actual body text. 

Prosecutors said that meeting was held to arrange the iPad bribe, but Geffon called that statement “pure speculation” not supported by other facts. 

“There is simply no evidence that suddenly, on February 8, 2019, Moyer was told or believed that the [concealed-weapons] permits would not be issued or released to the executive protection team unless the Sheriff’s Office received something in exchange (such as a donation of iPads),” Geffon wrote. 

Anyway, the case against Moyer is now dismissed. Here’s hoping that Moyer can put this ordeal behind him and continue his career.