He has risked a great deal and I'm just glad he's made of the stuff he's made of because he's going to be able to personally withstand the wrath that Firestone has unleashed on him. The fax telling Wilson employees not to do business with car dealerships that contract with Hogan was traced back to the plant's accounts-payable office. Officials in Nashville said it was not sanctioned by management. It hasn't happened, though. Friends at the plant offered to cover his mortgage and car payments.
Free beers come quickly.
He remains leery of the media. He worries about the future, certain no major company will ever hire a whistleblower. Hogan's mom, who didn't want him to go public, died this summer, adding grief to Hogan's misery. The reluctant whistleblower is asked if he'd do it all over again. He pauses, sips his beer and then remembers the Van Ettens and the hundreds of other tire-related deaths and injuries.