Relatives of two Boeing Max accidents demand a fine of $24.8 billion from the USA – KGET 17

The families of some of the people killed in the crashes of two Boeing 737 Max planes are calling on federal authorities to fine Boeing $24.8 billion and quickly bring charges against the company that were dropped three years ago.

A lawyer for the families said in a letter to the Justice Department on Wednesday that a large fine was justified “because Boeing’s crime is the deadliest economic crime in U.S. history.”

Attorney Paul Cassell also wrote that the government should prosecute officials who ran Boeing at the time of the 2018 and 2019 crashes, including then-CEO Dennis Muilenburg. In total, 346 people were killed in the crashes.

The first crash occurred when a Boeing 737 Max 8 of the Indonesian airline Lion Air crashed into the Java Sea in October 2018 – and the second in March 2019, when a 737 Max 8 of Ethiopian Airlines crashed almost vertically into a field six minutes after takeoff from Addis Ababa.

The families’ push comes as the Justice Department considers reviving a dormant fraud charge against Boeing. Last month, prosecutors found that the company violated a 2021 settlement that shields the company from prosecution for allegedly misleading regulators who approved the Max.

The Justice Department has until July 7 to tell a federal judge in Texas whether it will reopen the case. During a hearing on Tuesday, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) said there was “mounting evidence” that the company should be prosecuted.

Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company had previously said it had met its obligations under the 2021 settlement.

The Justice Department launched an investigation into Boeing after a door stopper on a 737 Max jet broke off during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. That incident brought increased attention to the company and outgoing CEO David Calhoun, who defended Boeing’s safety record during Senate hearings on Tuesday.