Senators for tougher action against Boeing executives on safety issues

WASHINGTON, D.C.: Two U.S. senators have demanded that the Department of Justice hold Boeing executives criminally accountable for safety issues that have impacted its airplanes.

Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland this week demanding stricter action. They said the department's past efforts to effect change at Boeing have failed "because of its continued refusal to criminally prosecute responsible individuals."

The Associated Press quoted the senators in the letter as saying, "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. 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 to comment.

The senators' letter comes a week before a federal hearing over Boeing's agreement to plead guilty to conspiracy in connection with the 737 Max jetliner, two of which crashed, killing 346 people.

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.

Families of some of the passengers killed in the crashes objected to the agreement, calling it a sweetheart deal, and wanted to put Boeing on trial, where it could face stricter punishment. Some lawyers said the DoJ treated Boeing with kid gloves because the company was a big government contractor.

However, the Justice Department believes conspiracy to defraud the government is the most serious charge it can prove. They have no evidence to prove Boeing's actions caused the crashes in 2018 in Indonesia and 2019 in Ethiopia.

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.

Earlier this year, a door plug blew off a 737 Max minutes after an Alaska Airlines flight took off from Portland, Oregon. It left a gaping hole in the plane, 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 helped secure the panel were not replaced when the plug was closed.

There were no severe injuries, and the pilots were able to return to Portland and land the plane safely.