The U.S. Justice Department defended its settlement with Boeing Co. in response to families of 737 Max crash victims who argued for heftier financial penalties and a court-appointed external monitor. The government asserted in a legal filing that it imposed the maximum punishment feasible under current circumstances. This response follows the families’ plea for a Texas federal judge to dismiss the agreement.
Boeing agreed in July to plead guilty to criminal conspiracy linked to the fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that claimed 346 lives. The agreement, contingent on judicial approval, mandates Boeing to implement an independent corporate monitor for three years and invest no less than $455 million towards enhancing compliance and safety protocols. Additionally, Boeing faces a minimum fine of $243.6 million, equivalent to the amount it paid under a 2021 deferred-prosecution agreement that the Justice Department later deemed violated.
The victims’ families argue that the deal insufficiently penalizes Boeing and insist that the judge, not the Justice Department with input from Boeing, should appoint the independent monitor. They also believe the financial penalties should be much steeper.
The government acknowledged the victims’ advocacy but emphasized that, after extensive investigation, it could not find definitive evidence proving that Boeing’s fraud directly caused the fatalities. The decision is now in the hands of U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who has yet to determine whether he will hold a hearing on the plea deal.
The case is listed as US v. Boeing, 21-cr-005, in the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas (Fort Worth).
For more updates on this story, visit bloomberg.com.
Original Story https://www.livemint.com/news/doj-defends-boeing-plea-deal-after-victims-families-object-11723676130393.html
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