Cruz Accuses Ford’s Farley of Deceiving Taxpayers, Claims He’s Too Afraid to Testify | Carscoops

      Jim Farley backed out of a scheduled Senate hearing after discovering that Tesla’s Elon Musk had been exempted from attending.

      Senator Cruz criticized the CEO of Ford for skipping the important hearing, suggesting that Jim Farley is apprehensive about addressing questions related to losses from electric vehicles (EVs). Cruz further accused Ford of exploiting rules surrounding EV tax credits.

      The Senate's anticipated opportunity to question automakers on the high prices of new vehicles was intended to be straightforward, with several CEOs present for lawmakers to pose their inquiries, leading to answers for the American public.

      However, the hearing took an unexpected turn, resembling a political drama, featuring a subplot involving accusations of cowardice aimed at Ford’s CEO by the chair.

      In reaction to Farley's decision not to appear on the original date, Cruz criticized him harshly. He claimed that Farley was too afraid to testify and implied that the CEO might be embarrassed due to significant losses incurred from EV investments.

      Cruz stated during an interview with Politico, “For whatever reason, it seems that Jim Farley was frightened to testify before Congress. I don't know if he was worried about the $19 billion loss for Ford shareholders on the flawed Ford Lightning or if he was embarrassed about attempting to deceive American taxpayers out of hundreds of millions by manipulating the expiration of the EV tax credit. For whatever reason, he felt that testifying before Congress was too daunting.” When asked if he would issue a subpoena to compel Farley to appear, Cruz responded, “Time will tell.”

      In addition to the optics, Cruz is focused on legislative progress. His committee is involved in drafting the surface transportation reauthorization bill, and he claims that the hearing is part of this initiative.

      Cruz remarked, “We will be legislating on surface transportation, and apparently, Ford has decided they are not interested in participating in the legislative process.”

      On behalf of Ford, spokesperson Dave Tovar reiterated the company’s position, stating, “As we’ve consistently maintained, we are dedicated to engaging appropriately on issues that affect our company, our employees, and the industry, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with leaders like Senator Cruz.”

      Ford's position is that it is willing to testify at the hearing focused on vehicle affordability, provided there is an equitable situation for all involved.

      Currently, Cruz is anticipating Farley’s attendance but is open to Tesla sending Lars Moravy, a senior engineering executive, instead of Musk. Ford views this as unfair, as does GM's CEO, Mary Barra, who suggested she would only participate if others did as well.

      Cruz defended the exclusion of Musk, arguing that his presence would shift the focus of the hearing to matters unrelated to vehicle affordability, such as Doge, diverting attention from important discussions about prices, emissions regulations, fuel economy standards, and how regulations affect what consumers pay at dealerships.