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Campbell Soup Company VP Scandal: Harsh Comments, Alleged Discrimination, and Shut Down Threat

Campbell Soup Company Vice President Martin Bally is embroiled in a scandal after recordings of him demeaning products, customers, and employees were revealed. Here are the full details!

Campbell Soup Company VP Scandal: Harsh Comments, Alleged Discrimination, and Shut Down Threat
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Campbell Soup Company Vice President Martin Bally is embroiled in a scandal after recordings of him demeaning products, customers, and employees were revealed. Here are the full details!... Selengkapnya

Liputan6.com, Jakarta A scandal rocked food giant Campbell Soup Company after its Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Martin Bally, was allegedly secretly recorded making derogatory comments.

The recording revealed controversial remarks about the company's products, customers, and employees of Indian descent.

The more than hour-long recording allegedly captured Bally calling Campbell's soup a product for "poor people" and criticizing the quality of its "highly processed" products.

He was also accused of insulting Indian employees, calling them "idiots," sparking public outrage and accusations of discrimination.

These comments were recorded during a meeting that took place in November 2024.

Former Campbell's cybersecurity analyst, Robert Garza, recorded the conversation and has now filed a lawsuit against the company.

Garza was fired shortly after reporting the recording to his superiors, sparking allegations of retaliation.

Campbell Soup Company has placed Bally on leave, stating that the comments do not reflect the company's values.

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Martin Bally's Secret Recording Controversy and Comments

In the recording, Bally allegedly made various comments that were highly damaging to the image of the company and its employees.

He reportedly called Campbell's soup products intended for "poor people" and openly criticized the product as "unhealthy" because it was "highly processed."

Furthermore, Bally also allegedly expressed his reluctance to consume chicken made from "3-D printers" or "bioengineered meat," even admitting to no longer purchasing Campbell's products for personal consumption.

Furthermore, the recording also contained alleged racial slurs against Indian employees, in which Bally called them "idiots" and incapable of independent thinking.

In the same recording, Bally also allegedly admitted to frequently coming to work high from marijuana edibles, adding to the growing list of controversies surrounding him.

The comments were recorded during a November 2024 meeting, which was supposed to discuss the salary of former Campbell's security analyst Robert Garza.

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Lawsuit from Former Employee

The secret recording incident has resulted in serious legal action.

Robert Garza, a former Campbell's cybersecurity analyst, has filed a lawsuit against Campbell Soup Company and his boss, J.D. Aupperle.

The lawsuit was filed in Wayne County Circuit Court on November 20, 2025, a year after the controversial recording was made.

Garza claims he instinctively recorded the conversation because he felt "something wasn't right with Martin" from the moment the meeting began.

After receiving the recording, Garza reported it to his superiors in January 2025.

However, instead of receiving protection, he was fired 20 days later, on January 30, 2025.

Garza's attorney, Zachary Runyan, emphasized that his client had no prior record of disciplinary action or performance complaints, bolstering the lawsuit's case.

Garza's lawsuit accuses Campbell's of employment discrimination and retaliation against him.

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Campbell Soup Company's Response and Investigation

In response to this scandal, Campbell Soup Company took immediate action.

The company placed Martin Bally on temporary leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.

Campbell's stated that if the recording proves legitimate, Bally's comments are completely unacceptable and do not reflect the values ​​or culture of the company they have built over the years.

Furthermore, Campbell's also defended the quality of its products amid Bally's criticism.

The company emphasized that Bally is an IT professional with no involvement in food development, thus deeming his comments about ingredients "inaccurate" and "completely absurd."

As proof, they stated they use 100% real chicken from USDA-approved, antibiotic-free suppliers.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier even announced that the state's Consumer Protection Division would launch an investigation into Campbell's.

Uthmeier stated that Florida prohibits bioengineered meat and will "shut down" violators if found guilty.

“We don’t do the fake, lab grown meat here in Florida. We’ll enforce the law and shut down!” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said on X.