Senators interrogated Boeing CEO David Calhoun at a hearing on Tuesday, blaming the chief executive for the company’s manufacturing and engineering design flaws.
During the two-hour hearing, senators on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations chastized Calhoun for fostering a fearful work culture that retaliates against employees who speak out. Calhoun admitted that employees have been retaliated against, and that he has not spoken to any whistleblowers or their families.
"I know it happens," the CEO said, referring to the punitory practices.
Subcommittee chair Sen. Richard Blumenthal described how supervisors went after whistleblowers like John Barnett, a Boeing employee who spoke out against the company's production standards who died by suicide in March.
“After whistleblower John Barnett raised his concerns about missing parts, he reported that his supervisor called him 19 times in one day and 21 times another day. And when Barnett asked his supervisor about those calls, he was told, ‘I'm going to push you until you break,’” the senator continued.
Calhoun started his testimony by apologizing to the families of the 346 victims of two fatal plane crashes in 2018 and 2019, many of whom were in the room holding up signs of their loved ones.
"I would like to apologize on behalf of all of our Boeing associates spread throughout the world — past and present — for their losses," Calhoun said, turning to face the families.
Six whistleblowers have testified against Boeing so far, including Sam Mohawk, a quality assurance inspector at the Renton, Washington, facility, who spoke out hours before the hearing Tuesday/ He alleged that the company has been threatening to terminate him for calling out that the company has been improperly documenting and possibly installing non-conforming parts.
Mohawk stated that superiors directed him to conceal evidence from the Federal Aviation Administration, according to Blumenthal in his opening remarks.
Blumenthal says DOJ should prosecute
Blumenthal opened the hearing by noting that in his opinion, the Department of Justice should criminally prosecute Boeing for violating its 2021 agreement that protected the aircraft maker from prosecution after two fatal plane crashes in 2018 and 2019. The DOJ has until July 7 to decide how to proceed with the charges.
“In fact, there is near overwhelming evidence in my view as a former prosecutor, that prosecution should be pursued,” Blumenthal said.
Sen. Josh Hawley interrogated Calhoun as to why he deserved a 45% salary increase from last year, now up to $32.8 million, as ensuring safety and quality are aspects of his role.
“We've had multiple whistleblowers come before this committee and allege that Boeing is cutting every possible corner on quality and safety not just in the past, but now. They've alleged that you've eliminated safety inspections. They allege that when they raise quality issues and concerns, they were reassigned, they were retaliated against, they were physically threatened," Hawley said."That doesn't sound like attention to quality to me."
Calhoun announced in March he will step down as CEO at the end of the year. Boeing has yet to name a successor.
“I don’t think the problem’s with the employees,” Hawley said. “I think the problem’s with you. You. It’s the C-suite. It’s the management. It’s what you’ve done to this company. That’s where the problem is,” Hawley said.
The hearing comes days after FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker admitted to lawmakers the agency had been too lenient with Boeing leading up to the Jan. 5 Alaska Airlines incident.
Senators are hoping to hear from airline executives regarding safety issues next.
"This past January, the facade literally blew off the hollow shell that had been Boeing's promises to the world," Blumenthal said. "And once that chasm was exposed, we learned that there was virtually no bottom to the void that lay below.”
