Ex-US defence chief testifies he was deceived by Elizabeth Holmes
Al Jazeera
Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes faces 20 years in prison after being charged with lying to investors and patients about the capabilities of her firm’s blood testing machines and the company’s financial health.
Prosecutors called former U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis as a witness against Theranos Inc. founder Elizabeth Holmes to try to show he was deceived in multiple ways — as a military man, a member of the company’s board and as an investor.
The retired four-star general testified Wednesday that he admired Holmes and came to believe in her promise that the Silicon Valley startup would revolutionize blood testing, only to be disappointed later when the shortcomings of Theranos technology were revealed and the company ultimately collapsed.
“There became a point when I didn’t know what to believe about Theranos anymore,” he said.
