CNN has obtained a transcript of claims by one of Elizabeth Holmes’ lawyers in the fraud trial against the Tesla and SpaceX founder.
The allegations relate to a brief email message on December 10, 2014, in which Holmes asks staffers in her company’s Laboratory Science division to “update me on how things are going.” The email, which was included in documents filed earlier this month by Holmes’ defense, was allegedly sent after the FDA issued a warning letter to Holmes’ company Theranos on December 4, 2014. That letter cited a pattern of “multiple patient visits” that related to thousands of missing or out-of-date tests.
In the email, Holmes wrote, “Our reagents are not up to date and we have some testing going on right now. At our labs in Palo Alto and Livonia, as well as our newly opened lab in Allen Park, MI. we need to call a meeting at 7:00am Saturday morning to handle some of this. Please let me know where you are and how it went.”
This was sent less than three months after Theranos had launched its first laboratory in Livonia, Michigan. The lab opened in November 2014.
Theranos, which claimed to be able to perform many more tests than the FDA-approved tests it was billing for, abruptly closed its remaining labs in October 2016 amid rising criticism from governments and investors alike. The company was accused of incorrectly charging customers for their tests and misleading the public about the reliability of its blood-testing technology. It also settled criminal charges in June.