With Boeing still under intense scrutiny, more than 25,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the recent deaths of two Boeing whistleblowers.
The petition, sponsored by the progressive advocacy group MoveOn, calls on the Department of Justice to investigate the deaths of John Barnett and Joshua Dean.
Barnett, a 32-year Boeing veteran who blew the whistle on concerns about safety and quality control on the company’s production lines, was found dead in March of an apparent suicide.
Dean, a former quality auditor for Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died last week from a bacterial infection. seattle times. He had accused the company’s leadership of ignoring manufacturing defects in the 737 Max.
“Boeing’s dangerous trend in aircraft crashes is deeply disturbing, and the Department of Justice is committed to supporting these tragic whistleblower deaths and the efforts of Boeing to silence those who speak out about safety concerns.” “The time has come to investigate the growing allegations from our employees that they were attempting to do so,” said Moveon spokeswoman Britt Jakovich. In a statement.
Another Boeing whistleblower who testified before a Senate committee last month accused Boeing of retaliating against him for raising concerns about manufacturing defects.
Sam Salepour, a Boeing quality engineer, said he was silenced and threatened after raising concerns that parts of the 787 Dreamliner’s fuselage were improperly joined.
Santiago Paredes, a former quality inspector at Spirit AeroSystems, also came forward Wednesday with new charges against Boeing’s suppliers, saying he was pressured to cover up defects found in aircraft parts.
Paredes said he was demoted after complaining that management changed defect protocols to reduce the number of reports. He eventually returned to a leadership role after filing charges.
“I felt threatened and felt I was being retaliated against for voicing my concerns,” he said.
The company came under increased scrutiny following the mid-air explosion of a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane in early January. Shortly after takeoff, the plane’s door plug blew off, leaving a large hole in the side of the plane, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing.
Boeing declined to comment.
Updated at 5:38 p.m. EDT.
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