A senior executive at Campbell's Soup Company has been placed on temporary leave following the emergence of a secret recording where he is heard making highly offensive remarks about the company's customers and employees.
Recording Reveals Explosive Allegations
Martin Bally, Campbell's Vice-President and Chief Information Security Officer, allegedly made the disparaging comments during a meeting in November 2024. The conversation was secretly recorded by Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst who had been with the company for just two months at the time.
Garza told WDIV that he decided to record the meeting because he had a gut feeling that "something wasn't right with Martin." He set up the sit-down to discuss his salary but captured much more than he anticipated.
Lawsuit Details Offensive Comments
On November 20, 2025, Garza filed a lawsuit alleging racist remarks, admissions of drug use at work, and retaliation after he reported the incident. The legal action names Campbell Soup Company, Bally, and supervisor J.D. Aupperle as defendants.
In the recording, a voice purported to be Bally's can be heard making shocking statements about Campbell's products and the people who buy them. "We have s*** for f***ing poor people. Who buys our s***? I don't buy Campbell's products barely anymore," the executive allegedly stated.
Bally went on to criticize the soups' ingredients, specifically mentioning: "Bioengineered meat — I don't wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer."
The recording also captured allegedly racist comments about minority workers at the company, with the voice saying: "F***ing Indians don't know a f***ing thing. They couldn't think for their f***ing selves."
Company Response and Investigation
Following the lawsuit filing, Campbell's has placed Bally on temporary leave pending an internal investigation. A company spokesperson told the New York Post that "if the comments were in fact made, they are unacceptable."
The spokesperson emphasized that the remarks "do not reflect our values and the culture of our company" and defended the quality of Campbell's products, calling the comments about their food "not only inaccurate — they are patently absurd."
The company stated it was not aware of the recording before Garza's lawsuit was filed.
Employee Speaks Out About Retaliation
Garza explained that after the meeting, he felt "pure disgust" both from the encounter and again when he listened to the recording. He initially kept the recording to himself but eventually reported the disturbing comments to his supervisor.
Garza was terminated just 20 days after reporting the incident. His complaint accuses the company of maintaining a racially hostile work environment and alleges his termination was retaliatory.
It took Garza ten months to find another job following his dismissal. He described Campbell's handling of the situation as "simply terrible" and contradicted the company's motto about treating employees like family.
Garza told WDIV that Bally "thinks he's a C-level executive at a Fortune 500 company and he can do whatever he wants because he's an executive." The former employee is now seeking damages for wrongful termination and retaliation through the legal system.
