Families of the victims of the two Boeing 737 Max crashes are urging federal officials to impose a hefty fine of $24.8 billion on Boeing and expedite the prosecution of the company on a criminal charge that was deferred three years ago. The families' attorney emphasized in a letter to the Justice Department that such a substantial fine is warranted as Boeing's actions constitute what is deemed as the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history.
The attorney further recommended that the government pursue legal action against the executives who were in charge of Boeing at the time of the tragic crashes in 2018 and 2019, including the then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg. The crashes claimed the lives of 346 individuals, with the first incident involving an Indonesia Lion Air-operated Boeing 737 Max 8 crashing into the Java Sea in October 2018, followed by the second crash in March 2019 when an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 plummeted into a field shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa.
The families' call for action coincides with the Justice Department's deliberation on whether to revive a dormant criminal charge of fraud against Boeing. Recent findings by prosecutors indicated that the company breached a 2021 settlement agreement, which shielded Boeing from prosecution for allegedly providing misleading information to regulators who approved the Max aircraft.
The Justice Department is expected to make a decision by July 7 on whether to reinitiate the case. During a recent hearing, Senator Richard Blumenthal highlighted the growing evidence supporting the notion that Boeing should face prosecution.
Boeing has yet to respond to requests for comment on the matter, although the company has previously asserted that it fulfilled its obligations under the 2021 settlement. The Justice Department commenced an inquiry into Boeing following an incident in which a door plug detached from a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. This event triggered heightened scrutiny of the company and its outgoing CEO David Calhoun, who defended Boeing's safety track record during a Senate hearing.
