WASHINGTON, D.C. | December 3, 2021 — National Whistleblower Center (NWC) strongly condemns Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s flippant display of anti-whistleblower rhetoric on Twitter.
Earlier this week, Musk encouraged his 65+ million Twitter followers to “Blow the whistle on Tesla!” by purchasing a $50 metal “Cyberwhistle” from Tesla’s online store. This sort of public shaming and mockery has a chilling effect: whistleblowers stepping forward know they will be facing a hostile environment from the top down.
Retaliation is a hurdle most whistleblowers face at the hands of their employers after reporting fraud and corruption, and Musk’s tweet is an example of how public shaming is a pervasive means of retaliation. NWC works tirelessly to educate whistleblowers on knowing their rights and how to stop retaliation. This large scale mockery is an affront to the brave whistleblowers putting themselves at risk everyday to expose wrongdoing.
NWC Executive Director Siri Nelson published an op-ed calling Musk’s gimmick “a masterclass in whistleblower retaliation” while noting that “companies retaliate most fiercely against the whistleblowers with the strongest claims”. As Tesla faces a litany of complaints, it is clear that they are desperate to deflect. NWC will not be distracted.
If you work at Tesla and have witnessed fraud, abuse, corruption, wrongdoing, or whistleblower retaliation, please fill out a confidential case intake form.
NWC Executive Director Siri Nelson is available for comment. For more information, contact National Whistleblower Center at info@whistleblowers.org.
