• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Retail

Wal-Mart spokesman resigns over lie on resume

Fortune Editors
By
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
Fortune Editors
By
Fortune Editors
Fortune Editors
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 16, 2014, 4:50 PM ET
Photograph by Robyn Beck — AFP/Getty Images

This post is in partnership with Time. The article below was originally published at Time.com

By Elizabeth Barber, TIME

(TIME)–In the middle of a probe over alleged corruption in its international division, Walmart has caught its own spokesman in a lie.

David Tovar, Wal-Mart’s (WMT) vice president of communications, and the company’s spokesperson as it responds to allegations that it violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, has said he is leaving the job he has held since 2006, Bloomberg reports.

That’s after the retail juggernaut found out that Tovar had represented himself as a 1996 graduate of the University of Delaware but in fact had no such degree, a source close to the matter, which is being kept private, told Bloomberg.

Officials from the University of Delaware also told Bloomberg that Tovar had left the school — where he had been studying art — on May 25, 1996, with no diploma.

Neither Tovar nor Walmart has spoken publicly about the allegations. But Wal-Mart did release a statement in which Tovar said that he has “decided to leave Wal-Mart at the end of the month.”

“I have loved every second of every minute I’ve been with the company and I don’t have enough room in this e-mail to give justice to the life-changing experience of working for the world’s largest retailer,” said Tovar.

It was unclear why or how Wal-Mart came across the revelation about Tovar’s school record eight years into his employment there.

About the Author
Fortune Editors
By Fortune Editors
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

A boy sits at a cluttered desk with headphones on, looking at an iPad.
RetailConsumer Spending
Gen Alpha’s economic influence is ‘enormous’—From side hustles and bankrolling from their parents, they’ve surpassed $100 billion in spending power
By Sasha RogelbergMarch 7, 2026
1 hour ago
C-SuiteMcDonald's
McDonald’s CEO did a burger taste test that became a cautionary tale for execs. But there’s a silver lining
By Rachel VentrescaMarch 6, 2026
1 day ago
C-SuiteRetail
Target’s new CEO lays out a $6 billion plan to revive ‘Tarzhay’
By Phil WahbaMarch 6, 2026
1 day ago
U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross speak during a luncheon with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda at the White House on June 12, 2019 in Washington, DC.
EconomyTariffs
American consumers are the ultimate losers in the ‘immense mess’ that is the $175 billion tariff refund, says Trump’s former commerce secretary
By Eleanor PringleMarch 5, 2026
2 days ago
trump
LawTariffs
Yes, judge tells Trump: you have to refund all the companies that you charged with illegal tariffs
By Paul Wiseman, Mae Anderson and The Associated PressMarch 4, 2026
3 days ago
RetailTarget
Target is over being ‘an everything store,’ CEO says. It’s doubling down on baby items and groceries—and investing $1 billion in its supply chain
By Molly Liebergall and Morning BrewMarch 4, 2026
3 days ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
The Treasury may need to borrow an extra $1.6 trillion to cover the hole left by tariff ruling and pay a further $400 billion in debt interest
By Eleanor PringleMarch 6, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Anthropic just mapped out which jobs AI could potentially replace. A 'Great Recession for white-collar workers' is absolutely possible
By Jake AngeloMarch 6, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z graduates who majored in ‘AI-proof’ careers like pharmacy, biology, and education are making less than $50,000 after graduation
By Emma BurleighMarch 6, 2026
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary says if he were 25 today, he'd chase these two booming opportunities in the world of AI
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 6, 2026
24 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Iran is turning out to be a more effective enemy than many thought, and U.S. allies are losing their patience with the war
By Jim EdwardsMarch 6, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Chinese billionaire who has fathered more than 100 children hopes to have dozens of U.S.-born boys to one day take over his business
By Emma BurleighMarch 5, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.