Campbell's Soup Executive Caught in Viral Scandal—What the Audio Reveals

Campbell’s (CPB) is having a rough week. Martin Bally, a senior exec at the iconic soup company, just got put on leave after a former employee filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit—and the receipts are wild.

Here’s what went down: Robert Garza, a security analyst hired remotely in September 2024, claims Bally completely derailed a routine pay meeting into a one-hour rant. According to the suit, Bally allegedly called Campbell’s own products “shit for f***ing poor people,” dissed an ingredient as “bioengineered meat,” and made racist comments about Indian staff members. Oh, and he allegedly admitted to working while high on marijuana edibles.

Garza sensed things were going sideways, so he hit record. A Michigan outlet later reviewed the audio—and yeah, there’s a voice on it dunking on Campbell’s food quality and mocking customers.

The plot thickens: Garza reported the comments internally in January. Three weeks later? Fired. No warnings, no discipline process. Now he’s suing for retaliation and hostile work environment.

Campbell’s response? They’re investigating and confirmed Bally’s on temporary leave. The company denied using “bioengineered meat” and stressed their soups use USDA-approved real chicken with no antibiotics. Bally’s staying quiet.

This isn’t Campbell’s first rodeo with exec drama—echoes of the Ratner Group’s 1991 “total crap” meltdown are giving corporate scandal nostalgia vibes.

Stock impact: CPB closed Tuesday at $30.42 (down 0.62%), now trading after-hours at $30.43 (+0.03%). The real question: how does this PR mess affect Q1 earnings?