Boeing Plea Deal Over Fatal 737 Crashes Rejected by Presiding Judge

Boeing agreed to plead guilty to fraud in the recent spate of fatal 737 crashes, but a judge has rejected this plea deal, citing a “DEI” clause included in the deal.

Reuters is reporting that a single sentence in the plea deal referencing the DOJ’s diversity policy concerning the choice of an independent monitor to audit the plane maker’s compliance practices was seized upon by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, who has a history of ruling in favor of conservative causes. In October, he requested additional briefings from Boeing and prosecutors.

According to O’Connor’s ruling, the plea deal “marginalizes” the judge’s role in choosing and supervising the independent monitor and prohibits enforcing a probationary requirement that Boeing abide by the monitor’s anti-fraud recommendations. The arrangement, according to him, was “not in the public interest.”

As part of the agreement, the corporation had committed to spending $455 million to enhance safety and compliance procedures during three years of court-supervised probation and paying a fine of up to $487.2 million.

Families of the victims want the corporation and its officials to be held criminally liable for the deaths of their loved ones and to have any proof of misconduct shown in a public trial. Additionally, they have asserted that Boeing should pay up to $24.78 billion for the crashes.

Boeing ‘Can’t Afford Another Mistake’

Boeing’s CEO addressed staff members during a company-wide meeting on Nov. 20, saying, “We can’t afford another mistake.“

According to the Wall Street Journal, CEO Kelly Ortberg talked about the problems that have brought the company to its current financial situation, but he also underlined that the company’s past failures will not determine its future.

“We spend more time arguing amongst ourselves than thinking about how we’re going to beat Airbus,” Ortberg said during the meeting. “Everybody is tired of the drumbeat of what’s wrong with Boeing. I’m tired of it and I haven’t been here that long.”

He continued: “We’re at a low here folks. We have an opportunity today to come racing out of where we are and to really improve.”

He listed a number of reasons why the business is struggling financially, such as the fallout from the eight-week machinist strike and the thousands of workers who were laid off.