Written by David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two U.S. senators criticized the Justice Department’s plea agreement with Boeing in July and said the government should take action against the planemaker’s executives “responsible for safety failures,” according to a letter seen by Reuters.
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal said in a letter dated Wednesday to the Justice Department that the government has failed to hold Boeing accountable for a series of safety issues in recent years.
“It is time for the Department of Justice to take action against corporate executives at Boeing responsible for endangering passengers and workers in violation of federal laws and regulations,” the letter said.
Boeing declined to comment. The Ministry of Justice confirmed that it had received the letter and declined to comment.
In July, the planemaker finalized an agreement with the Justice Department to plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud the FAA and pay up to $487 million after breaching a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement and facing three years of oversight from an independent monitor.
The Justice Department said Boeing allowed potentially risky work at its factories and did not ensure the accuracy or completeness of the plane’s key record-keeping.
“For too long, corporate executives have routinely evaded prosecution for criminal misconduct,” the senators wrote. He added: “This pampering comes at the expense of the safety of customers and workers, and must end. We therefore urge you to carefully review the conduct of Boeing executives and their potential liability.”
Last week, US District Judge Reed O’Connor said he would hold a hearing on October 11 to consider objections from relatives of some of the 346 people killed in the crash of two Boeing 737 MAX planes.
“The combination of the relatively small fine coupled with a weak commitment to improving aircraft safety has proven insufficient to bring about real change at the company,” the senators said.
“There have been a number of Boeing aircraft safety failures since the fatal 737 MAX crash, raising ongoing concern about Boeing’s top-down culture that prioritizes production speed over passenger safety,” they added.
In 2021, Boeing’s former chief technical pilot was accused of deceiving the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) about a key flight control system on the 737 MAX. A jury finds him not guilty in 2022.
Last week, FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker told Congress that his agency “will expeditiously provide notification, in real time, of any potentially criminal activities so that the Department of Justice can take whatever action it deems appropriate.”
The Justice Department in August urged O’Connor to accept the deal, which it says is “a strong and important decision that holds Boeing accountable and serves the public interest.”