When an Amazon worker was killed by a forklift in a Plainfield warehouse in 2017, the state of Indianas investigator found the company was at fault. The state cited Amazon for four major safety violations and fined it $28,000.
But an investigation by Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting has found that, as Gov. Eric Holcomb sought to lure Amazons HQ2 to Indiana, state labor officials quietly absolved Amazon of responsibility. After Amazon appealed, they deleted every fine that had been levied and accepted the companys argument that the Amazon worker was to blame.
The investigator on the case, John Stallone, had arrived at the warehouse a day after 59-year-old Phillip Lee Terry was crushed to death. He was so troubled by the pushback he was getting from higher-ups that he secretly recorded his boss, Indiana OSHA Director Julie Alexander, as she counseled the company on how to lessen the fine.
Its like being at a card table and having a dealer teach you how to count cards, Stallone said.
He said pressure to back off came from as high up as the governors mansion.
The governors office and Indiana labor officials declined interviews. In statements, they both called Stallones account false.