Campbell's Exec Recorded Ripping Soup, Customers Is Out

Campbell's announced Wednesday that it has fired the executive recorded making disparaging remarks about the company's customers, Indian employees, and the product itself. A review indicated the voice on the recording indeed was Martin Bally's, who was vice president of information technology, the Wall Street Journal reports. The recording was of a conversation with another employee, Robert Garza. "The comments were vulgar, offensive and false," a company statement said, "and we apologize for the hurt they have caused."

The recording is part of a lawsuit Garza filed in Michigan against the company over his firing weeks after he reported Bally's comments to management. Campbell's said Wednesday the filing was the first it had heard that Bally's remarks were preserved, per USA Today. "Neither Mr. Garza nor his lawyer ever notified us of the existence of an audio recording," the company said.