LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — Campbell’s didn’t wait for a second serving of controversy: the soup company fired a Michigan executive after a leaked recording revealed him trashing the very products he was paid to promote, disparaging customers and coworkers in the process.
Martin Bally, a vice president in the company’s information-security division, was identified in a lawsuit filed by former employee Robert Garza, who says he was fired after reporting Bally’s comments to management. Garza alleges he recorded the November 2024 meeting where Bally dismissed Campbell’s food as “highly processed” and “for poor people,” and went on to make racist remarks about Indian employees.
Campbell’s says it wasn’t aware of the recording until last week, but after reviewing excerpts of the audio, the company concluded the voice was Bally’s and terminated him Nov. 25, 2025. In a statement, Campbell’s called the comments “vulgar, offensive and false” and insisted they “do not reflect our values.”
Recently, Local 4 News in Detroit also aired a clip in which Bally mocked the company’s chicken as “bioengineered meat” that “came from a 3D printer.” Campbell’s pushed back hard, calling Bally’s claims “patently absurd.”
Garza is now seeking damages from Campbell’s, Bally, and his former manager.