The ongoing emissions scandal at Volkswagen has left plenty of ill will and crisis PR to go around. A lot of blame too. Recently, Michael Horn, head of Volkswagen Americas, testified before the US House of Representatives oversight and investigations panel. Horn was there, ostensibly to chat about the emissions scandal. In practical terms, he was there to take his medicine, a congressional beating … and, by all accounts, one well deserved.
VW reportedly used “defeat devices” on some of their cars, mostly diesels, to “pass” US emissions tests. Horn said it was not a corporate decision, pointing the finger squarely at “a few employees.”
“This was a couple of software engineers who put this in for whatever reason,” Horn said. So, he used the Casablanca defense and rounded up all the usual suspects. Then Horn dropped the other shoe, admitting VW used “different” defeat devices in Europe to beat their standards testing.
Oops.
Lawmakers then asked if VW “cheated” because it was easier and cheaper than using special injection systems to cut emissions. Horn once again went full Casablanca. “Some people have made the wrong decisions to get away with something.”
Thanks for the clarification, Mike. Horn’s “testimony” was followed by an EPA official, who caught the brunt of the panel’s displeasure. Some lawmakers blamed the EPA’s budget allocations for falling asleep at the wheel. In response, EPA official Christopher Grundler fell on his sword. “I’m not going to blame our budget for the fact that we missed this cheating.”
That may have been the first time in the history of Congress that anyone stood up and squarely accepted blame for a costly mistake. Congress appeared mystified until Grundler added, “I think we do a good job of setting priorities.”
Rep. Michael Burgess recovered enough to quip, “I think the American people ought to ask that we fire you and hire West Virginia University to do our work.”
Wisely, Grundler refused to take the bait, letting the snark go unanswered. In the end, the entire scenario once again proved hearings such as these are as much about political theater as they are about actual accountability. Anyone in that situation would do well to remember that. What you say is not nearly as important as how you say it.
Jonah Engler is a New York entrepreneur, coffee lover and a mobile business owner.
