Mon, May 15, 2006
Company Will Avoid Criminal Charges, Admit No Wrongdoing
We didn't do anything
wrong... and you can't say we did... but we'll still pay you over
half a billion dollars to put the whole thing behind us. That,
essentially, is the agreement Boeing has reportedly reached with
the US Justice Department over past procurement violations -- and
it's a deal that will cost the aerospace manufacturer some big
bucks.
The Wall Street Journal reported on its website Monday that
Boeing will soon pay $565 million in civil claims, and another $50
million to settle criminal charges brought against the company.
Under terms of the settlement, Boeing will admit no wrongdoing, and
will avoid all criminal charges.
As Aero-News reported last
month, those charges stem from Boeing's alleged
illegal appropriation of proprietary rocket designs from Lockheed
Martin, as well as from government investigations into the
company's recruitment of US Air Force weapons buyer Darleen Druyen
while she still had an oversight role over a $23.5 million aerial
tanker competition -- that, coincidentally, went to Boeing, before
it was tossed out.
At a time when Boeing is enjoying brisk sales of its commercial
airliners -- and is struggling to win and retain key defense
contracts -- legal observers say Boeing is eager to put any of its
past missteps behind it, and now is going above and beyond to
demonstrate it is a responsible company.
Last week's move by Boeing to name J. Michael Luttig, a
respected US Appeals Court judge, as the company's chief lawyer,
couldn't hurt that image.
More News
From 2023 (YouTube Version): Legacy of a Titan Robert (Bob) Anderson Hoover was a fighter pilot, test pilot, flight instructor, and air show superstar. More so, Bob Hoover was an i>[...]
Get The Latest in Aviation News NOW on Instagram Are you on Instagram yet? It's been around for a few years, quietly picking up traction mostly thanks to everybody's new obsession >[...]
Aero Linx: B-52H Stratofortress The B-52H Stratofortress is a long-range, heavy bomber that can perform a variety of missions. The bomber is capable of flying at high subsonic spee>[...]
Altimeter Setting The barometric pressure reading used to adjust a pressure altimeter for variations in existing atmospheric pressure or to the standard altimeter setting (29.92).>[...]
"Knowing that we play an active part in bettering people's lives is extremely rewarding. My team and I are very thankful for the opportunity to be here and to help in any way we ca>[...]