Senators ask Justice Department to take tougher action against Boeing
executives over safety issues
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[October 04, 2024]
By CLAIRE RUSH
Two U.S. senators have asked the Department of Justice to take tougher
action against Boeing executives by holding them criminally accountable
for safety issues that have impacted its airplanes.
In a letter dated Wednesday and sent to Attorney General Merrick
Garland, Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard
Blumenthal of Connecticut said the department's past efforts to effect
change at Boeing have failed “because of its continued refusal to
criminally prosecute responsible individuals.”
(asterisk)For too long, corporate executives have routinely escaped
prosecution for criminal misconduct. This coddling comes at the expense
of customer and worker safety, and it must end,” the senators wrote. “We
therefore urge you to carefully review the behavior and potential
culpability of Boeing’s executives and hold criminally accountable any
individuals that have promoted a culture at the company that disregards
passenger safety in violation of federal laws and regulations.”
Boeing declined by email to comment.
The senators' letter comes ahead of a federal hearing next week over
Boeing’s agreement to plead guilty to conspiracy in connection with the
737 Max jetliner, two of which crashed, killing 346 people.
Families of some of the passengers killed in the crashes object to the
agreement. They want to put Boeing on trial, where it could face tougher
punishment.
The Justice Department argued in court filings that conspiracy to
defraud the government is the most serious charge it can prove.
Prosecutors said they lack evidence to show that Boeing’s actions caused
the crashes in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia.
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A Boeing 737 Max jet prepares to land at Boeing Field following a
test flight in Seattle, Sept. 30, 2020. Two U.S. senators have asked
the Department of Justice to take tougher action against Boeing
executives by holding them criminally accountable for safety issues
that have impacted its airplanes, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP
Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
Relatives of victims and their lawyers have called the settlement a
sweetheart deal that fails to consider the loss of so many lives.
Some of the lawyers have argued that the Justice Department treated
Boeing gently because the company is a big government contractor.
The agreement calls for Boeing to pay a fine of at least $243.6
million, invest $455 million in compliance and safety programs, and
be placed on probation for three years.
Boeing — which is also grappling with a nearly three-week-long
strike of 33,000 machinists — has faced a series of safety concerns
in the past year.
Just last week, federal safety investigators issued urgent
recommendations to Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration
after determining pedals that pilots use to steer 737 Max jetliners
on runways can become jammed because moisture can leak into a rudder
assembly and freeze.
And earlier this year, a door plug blew off a 737 Max minutes after
an Alaska Airlines flight took off from Portland, Oregon, leaving a
gaping hole in the plane and creating decompression so violent that
it blew open the cockpit door and tore off the co-pilot’s headset.
The plug had been opened at a Boeing factory to let workers fix
damaged rivets, but bolts that help secure the panel were not
replaced when the plug was closed.
There were no major injuries, and the pilots were able to return to
Portland and land the plane safely.
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