In the shadows of corporate giants, where handshakes hide sharp edges, Oracle and Cummins are locked in a supplier–customer fling that goes beyond routine software deals. Oracle – the tech titan out of California – powers Cummins’ operations with everything from E‑Business Suite for finance to Fusion HCM for HR. Cummins, the Indiana‑based engine powerhouse, signs the cheques and keeps its engine empire ticking. What looks like a straightforward gig is, in fact, a partnership steeped in scandal, rule‑bending, and a shared knack for dodging the straight and narrow.
Oracle’s Rap Sheet
Before we turn to Cummins’ own recent woes, let’s tear into Oracle’s laundry list of misconduct:
- Overcharging the US Government (2011)
Oracle short‑changed Uncle Sam under a General Services Administration contract, hiding discounts given to commercial clients. A whistleblower suit led to a $199.5 million settlement, with the whistleblower pocketing $40 million. - Discriminatory Pay Practices (2017–2024)
A 2017 Department of Labor inquiry found a $400 million gender and race wage gap. Oracle denied the claims, but in 2024 it paid $25 million to settle a class action by 4,000 women in California. - Data Collection Lawsuit (2022–2024)
Oracle’s Data Marketplace and ID Graph business lines were sued for harvesting and selling user data without consent. The 2024 settlement cost them $115 million for violations dating back to 2018. - Bribery (FCPA Violations, 2022)
SEC enforcement found Oracle subsidiaries in Turkey, UAE, and India running slush funds and bribing officials. Oracle paid a $23 million fine, marking a repeat of its 2012 misconduct. - Cloud Accounting Whistleblower (2016)
Finance manager Svetlana Blackburn alleged she was fired for refusing to inflate cloud‑revenue numbers. Oracle threatened litigation; the case fizzled, but the cloud‑accounting scandal left a bad taste.
Cummins’ Own Controversy
No one’s untouchable. In 2024 Cummins agreed to a $1.675 billion settlement for fitting defeat‑device software on over 630,000 Ram trucks – one of the largest Clean Air Act penalties ever imposed. The Cummins Accountability Project has flagged further ethical and environmental concerns across their operations.
The Bottom Line
Oracle and Cummins aren’t merely tied by software—they share a willingness to push boundaries until they snap. Oracle’s scandals pile up like unpaid invoices; Cummins’ emissions‑cheat shows a similar disregard for rules. Their relationship? A mutual shrug between two giants who treat regulations as optional. In this game, they’re both rolling the dice – and neither seems to fear the fallout.
Lee Thompson, Founder – The Cummins Accountability Project
TCAP.blog | Substack
Sources
- Case Study: Cummins and Relationship One
- Oracle agrees to pay US $199.5 million to resolve False Claims Act lawsuit
- Oracle to settle female employees’ equal pay case for $25 m
- Oracle to pay $115M in data privacy settlement
- SEC Charges Oracle a Second Time for Violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
- Oracle whistleblower suit raises questions over cloud accounting
- Engine maker Cummins agrees to pay $1.67 billion to settle claims it bypassed emissions tests