Wal-Mart gets gag order on worker

Wal-Mart won a gag order to stop a fired security operative from talking to reporters and a judge ordered him to provide Wal-Mart attorneys with “the names of all persons to whom he has transmitted, since Jan. 15, 2007, any Wal-Mart information.”

The court papers made public Monday follow a string of revelations about the retailer’s large surveillance operations and its business plans.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. filed a lawsuit and request for a temporary restraining order directly with a Circuit Court judge after court hours Friday.

In the suit, Wal-Mart alleges that former security operative Bruce Gabbard violated trade secrets law by revealing “confidential information about Wal-Mart security systems and operations” and “highly confidential information about Wal- Mart’s strategic planning.” It seeks unspecified damages.