Report: Justice Department Issues ‘Multiple Subpoenas’ in Boeing 737 Max Criminal Probe

Willy Kurniawan
Reuters

The Justice Department has issued “multiple subpoenas” as part of its criminal probe into the Federal Aviation Administration's certification of Boeing 737 Max planes, according to sources cited by CNN.

Investigators have reportedly sought information from Boeing pertaining to “safety and certification procedures,” like training manuals given to pilots, and how they marketed the 737 Max plane. The probe, which is reportedly being handled by the FBI's Seattle office and the DOJ, is in its “early stages” and began after the plane crashed in Indonesia late last year.

A source told CNN the investigation would focus on “the process” of how the plane was certified in the first place and what data Boeing presented to the FAA. A Boeing spokesperson reportedly referred CNN to their earlier statement, which states that the company “does not respond to or comment on questions concerning legal matters, whether internal, litigation, or governmental inquiries.”

The news comes after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed shortly after takeoff earlier this month, just months after another crash in Indonesia, leaving a total of 346 people dead.

The latest crash, which is believed to have been caused by the same malfunction as the first one, prompted many countries to ground the plane and President Trump to declare an “emergency order” to get U.S. airlines to stop using the 737 Max. The Transportation Department's Inspector General is also probing the plane's certification.