Former PR head claims Ford bugged his phone, car

Ford has been accused of illegally surveilling the company-owned phone and car of former PR head Jason Vines.
In his new book “What Did Jesus Drive? Crisis PR in Cars, Computers and Christianity,” Vines claims the Blue Oval installed the monitoring devices in 2001 as the company dealt with the Firestone tire controversy.

The automaker is said to have been bugged several high-level employees, including Vines and former general counsel John Rintamaki, in an attempt to identify the source of leaks to the press. The internal investigation methods were allegedly acknowledged by Ford security staff.

The public affairs veteran suggests it was Bill Ford Jr. who secretly called The New York Times with confidential information about a looming recall, after the decision was made by then-CEO Jacques Nasser. Both Nasser and Vines were ousted late in 2001.

The company has denied the allegations, noting that the tire crises occurred more than a decade ago.

“We are not aware of anything of this nature happening,” spokeswoman Susan Krusel said in a statement to The Detroit News.