Peloton under investigation by the SEC and Department of Justice
Peloton, the maker of exercise treadmills that have been recalled due to injuries, is the subject of an investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security have also subpoenaed documents from the company related to how it reported those injuries, Peloton said in a recent annual financial filing.
The home fitness company recalled its Tread and Tread+ treadmills last May after initially pushing back against a Consumer Products Safety Commission request that it do so. The CPSC had cited the death of one child and 70 other injuries involving the treadmills. The agency said it was aware of multiple instances of children being pulled under running treadmills. Pets and objects could also get drawn into the machines, causing injuries to users, the CPSC said.
Peloton later acknowledged it was wrong to initially reject the recall request.
“I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the CPSC’s request,” Peloton CEO John Foley said at the time. “We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize.”
The company is also the subject of numerous lawsuits, as it acknowledged in its annual 10-K report filed with the SEC on Friday. The recalls are expected to cost Peloton $165 million in lost revenue, according to company estimates.
The DOJ, DHS, SEC and Peloton itself did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the investigations and subpoenas on Saturday afternoon.
Peloton dropped the Tread and Tread+ products from its website following the recalls. The site now lists a new, redesigned Tread model that, according to the website, was “thoughtfully designed with safety in mind.” The new machines will be available Monday.
The-CNN-Wire
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