Associated Press bulletin news online news
Families of some of the people who died in two Boeing 737 Max crashes are asking federal officials to fine Boeing $24.8 billion and move quickly to prosecute the company on a criminal charge that was set aside three years ago.
A lawyer for the families said in a letter Wednesday to the Justice Department that a large fine is justified “because Boeing’s crime is the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history.”
The lawyer, Paul Cassell, also wrote that the government should prosecute officials who were leading Boeing at the time of the crashes in 2018 and 2019, including then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg. In all, 346 people were killed in the crashes.
The first crash occurred when a Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air plunged into the Java Sea in October 2018 — and the second in March 2019, when an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 crashed nearly straight down into a field six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa.
bulletin news online news
The push by the families comes as the Justice Department considers whether to revive a dormant criminal charge of fraud against Boeing. Last month, prosecutors determined that the company violated a 2021 settlement that protected the company from being prosecuted for allegedly misleading regulators who approved the Max.
The Justice Department has until July 7 to tell a federal judge in Texas whether it will revive the case. During a hearing Tuesday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said there is “mounting evidence” that the company should be prosecuted.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company previously has said it met its obligations under the 2021 settlement.
(Please click onto the image of the cat to hear Classical Music)
The Justice Department opened an investigation into Boeing after a door plug blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. That incident led to increased scrutiny of the company and outgoing CEO David Calhoun, who defended Boeing’s safety record during Tuesday’s Senate hearing.
In related news, it seems that, according to reports published by Reuters, the Department of Justice is seeking prosecutions, where Boeing is concerned.
US Prosecutors Recommend DOJ Criminally Charge Boeing: Reuters
By Susanne Barton
bulletin news online news
(Bloomberg News) U.S. prosecutors have recommended to senior Justice Department officials that Boeing Co. face criminal charges for violating a settlement related to two fatal crashes, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the matter it didn’t identify.
The people didn’t specify what criminal charges Justice Department officials are considering. The charges could extend beyond the original 2021 fraud conspiracy charge, Reuters said, citing one of the people.
The federal agency determined in May that Boeing had breached a 2021 deferred-prosecution agreement that was put in place after the 737 Max crashes, which killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019. The planemaker has denied the department’s findings, and the Justice Department now has until July 7 to decide what punishment, if any, the company should face.
Alternatively, instead of prosecuting Boeing, the DOJ could extend the 2021 settlement by a year or propose new, stricter terms, Reuters said, citing the people.
Boeing declined to comment to Reuters, while a spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to comment.
The internal Justice Department deliberations remain ongoing and no final decisions have been reached, Reuters said
©2024 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
bulletin news online news