WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Relatives of the victims of two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes asked the Justice Department on Wednesday to seek a fine against the planemaker of up to $24.78 billion and move forward with a criminal prosecution.
“Because Boeing’s crime is the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history, a maximum fine of more than $24 billion is
legally justified and clearly appropriate,” Paul Cassel, a lawyer representing 15 families, wrote in a letter to the Justice Department released on Wednesday.
The families said the Justice Department could potentially suspend $14 billion to $22 billion of the fine “on the condition that Boeing devote those suspended funds to an independent corporate monitor and related improvements in compliance and safety.”
The Justice Department said in May it determined Boeing violated a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement that shielded the company from a criminal charge of conspiracy to commit fraud arising from fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
Boeing last week told the government it did not violate the agreement. Federal prosecutors have until July 7 to inform a federal judge in Texas of their plans, which could be proceeding with a criminal case or negotiating a plea deal with Boeing. The Justice Department could also extend the deferred prosecution agreement for a year.
They argue that imposing such a penalty would not only deter future lapses in aircraft safety but also offer compensation and closure to Boeing crash victims’ families. Additionally, they advocate for enhanced oversight and transparency in the aviation sector to prevent similar tragedies.
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