Tesla releases rare comment denying media report’s claim an executive has left

Tesla has released a rare public comment denying a media report that claims an executive has left the company.

Over the last few years, almost every article about Tesla you read includes some version of the phrase “we contacted Tesla for a comment, but the automaker has not responded.” That’s because the automaker has stopped commenting on media reports over the last two years after disbanding its press relations department.

But surprisingly, Tesla has taken to Twitter today to comment on a media report from Bloomberg that claimed David Searle, Tesla’s head of legal, had left the company:

Tesla denied the report on Twitter despite Bloomberg claiming that three sources confirmed the news to them:

David Searle left his position as Tesla’s head of legal less than a month ago, according to three people familiar with the matter. Dinna Eskin, a deputy general counsel at the company, has taken over the role, the people said.

The publication had reached out to Tesla prior to reporting, but the automaker didn’t respond. Bloomberg has since modified the article to specify that Searle is not the head of legal at the company, which Tesla doesn’t seem to deny, but the headline still claims that Searle has “exited” Tesla.

The report also noted that Searle oversaw the investigation into the suspicious order of “special glass” that reportedly resulted in several Tesla employees being fired. And, supposedly, Elon Musk’s top lieutenant Omead Afshar is going to be next.

That report was also from Bloomberg (but from a different reporter), and Tesla hasn’t commented.

Electrek’s Take

Man, I miss Tesla’s PR department. This is one of those cases where it would have been useful. It looks like Bloomberg might be onto something about this, but they didn’t get the full story.

Tesla could have clarified the situation. Instead, Bloomberg posted an incomplete report and Tesla decided to correct it after the fact.

But, the fact that the company commented on it at all is interesting because that hasn’t happened in a long time. Are we seeing a glimpse of potential media relations coming back? Maybe. We will have to wait and see.