Comment by dmvinson

  In 2014, GE’s corporate security learned that Mr. Zheng 
  had copied more than 19,000 files from a GE-owned 
  computer to an external storage device, according to 
  the FBI affidavit.
  
  In late 2017, GE discovered he had saved about 400 
  files on his desktop computer using encryption software 
  not used by the company.

I don't understand why GE would keep him employed after the first offense. Can someone who understands corporate bureaucracy explain this? Especially knowing that he was literally running a competing business in China while employed at GE.