U.S. prosecutors are planning to seek a guilty plea from Boeing in connection to two fatal crashes of 737 Max planes that killed 346 people, according to attorneys for the victims’ family members. The potential agreement is being criticized as a “sweetheart deal” during discussions between Justice Department attorneys and victims’ family members. Boeing has not commented on the matter, and its acceptance of a plea deal is unclear, which could impact its ability to secure government contracts as a major defense contractor.
The Justice Department is reviewing whether Boeing violated a 2021 settlement that protected the company from federal charges related to the crashes. This agreement came into question after a safety incident involving a new 737 Max 9 aircraft earlier this year. Boeing had previously admitted that two pilots had concealed information about a new flight-control system on the planes, which was later implicated in the crashes.
If the plea deal is accepted, Boeing would pay an additional fine of about $247 million and be required to have an outside monitor installed on the company. Critics, including the victims’ family members’ lawyers, believe that this new deal is too lenient and only amounts to a “slap on the wrist” for Boeing. The DOJ has not responded to requests for comments on the matter.
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