Uber Exec Apologizes After Suggesting He’d Dig Up Dirt on Journalists

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

GoLocalPDX News Team

An executive with the ride-sharing company Uber has apologized after news broke Monday night that he had suggested he should dig up personal dirt on journalists who criticized him. The company recently expanded service to towns in Portland's suburbs.

Emil Michael, the company’s senior vice president of business suggested that he should use a political-style opposition research team to dig up dirty on journalists who criticized the company, according to a post on BuzzFeed Monday.

Michael made the remarks during a dinner party attended by actor Ed Norton, publisher Arrianna Huffington and hosted by Ian Osborne, a former adviser to British Prime Minster David Cameron. Michael apologized for the comments and said he believed he was off the record at the time, according to BuzzFeed.

The incident surfaced at a time when Uber has taken increasing criticism in the media for its aggressive business style, that often flouts local laws regulating taxi cabs.

A post Tuesday on Vox slammed Uber in an editorial headlined Uber has an a#@hole problem [ED: expletive redacted].

Uber began operating in Vancouver Washington earlier this year, taking advantage of legal loopholes in that city's taxi rules. Whether or not Uber is working within the law has been debated by city officials.

Earlier this month, Uber began operating in four Oregon towns in the Metro area, Gresham, Beaverton, Hillsboro and Tigard. The company is working within the law in those cities and was formerly invited the by the respective mayors of the town, Uber said.

Uber currently doesn’t comply with Portland regulations governing taxis, though the city has promised to review its statutes.