Boeing Has Allies in the Biden Justice Department
Boeing is facing scrutiny from the Justice Department that could lead to criminal charges. But a department official involved in the case formerly consulted on behalf of the company — just one among many such officials with close corporate connections.
Families of victims of Ethiopian Airlines flight 302, a Boeing 737 Max 8 that crashed in 2019, display photos of their loved ones as Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun testifies before a subcommittee of the Senate Energy and National Resources Committee, Washington, DC, June 18, 2024. (Allison Bailey / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
A former Boeing consultant is among the Justice Department officials who will soon determine whether the aviation behemoth will face criminal charges in the wake of two fatal plane crashes and ongoing safety problems, according to federal disclosures.
Additionally, Boeing’s top lobbyist — Ziad Ojakli, a former aide to President George W. Bush — has been at events with President Joe Biden at the White House at least five times since 2021, according to White House visitor log disclosures reviewed by us. Boeing’s CEO, David Calhoun, has attended events with Biden three times since 2022.
Though federal prosecutors have reportedly recommended criminal charges against the company, it is unclear whether those recommendations will be followed by the Biden administration, which has allowed corporate prosecutions to remain near record lows. Biden officials have handed out more than sixty deferred- or non-prosecution agreements in corporate cases, and the amount of money recovered in such cases has dramatically plummeted.
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