Boeing's Immunity Deal: Corporate Manslaughter, Government Condoned
A federal judge is now contemplating whether to void Boeing's deeply questionable immunity from criminal prosecution stemming from the 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people. This isn't a 'rare legal challenge'; it's a 'rare glimpse behind the curtain' into how corporate giants like Boeing — a major defense contractor and political donor, by the way — consistently evade justice. The 2021 deal, a
Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA), allowed Boeing to skip prosecution in exchange for a paltry 2.5 billion dollars and a promise to be good. A DPA is typically for minor offenses, not alleged corporate manslaughter. This 'immunity' deal, brokered by the Department of Justice, conveniently glossed over the fact that Boeing allegedly lied to federal regulators, prioritized profit over human
lives, and then skirted any real criminal charges for these decisions. One might wonder if the $17.1 million Boeings spent on lobbying in 2023, coupled with over $2.1 million in political donations to federal candidates since 2020 through its PAC, helped grease those legal skids. How many people need to die before corporate negligence stops being a 'deferred prosecution' matter and starts being a
criminal one?