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WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — In a decision that’s already drawing fierce backlash, the U.S. Department of Justice has struck a controversial deal with Boeing, allowing the embattled aerospace titan to avoid criminal prosecution over its role in two fatal 737 Max crashes that claimed 346 lives.

Court documents filed Friday revealed that under an “agreement in principle,” Boeing will pay and invest more than $1.1 billion—including an additional $445 million earmarked for the victims’ families. In return, the DOJ will drop a felony fraud charge that accused Boeing of deceiving federal regulators about the aircraft’s safety systems.

The settlement, still pending finalization, effectively shields Boeing from a criminal conviction that experts say could have disqualified it from lucrative federal contracts.

“Nothing will diminish the victims’ losses,” a DOJ spokesperson said, defending the resolution as “the most just outcome” that ensures accountability, compensation, and safety reform.

‘No Justice for 346 Dead’

But victims’ families and lawmakers aren’t buying it. They’ve slammed the deal as a sweetheart arrangement for a corporate giant accused of putting profits before lives.

“Boeing should be held accountable to the flying public,” said attorney Paul Cassell, who represents several families. “Not just pay fines and walk away.”

Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Richard Blumenthal also condemned the decision, writing to Attorney General Pam Bondi earlier this week that such a deal would be “a serious mistake.”

Deadly Deception

Boeing was charged with misleading the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) by concealing the existence of MCAS, a software system that could force the plane’s nose downward based on faulty sensor data. The pilots of the doomed Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines flights were unaware of the system—and unable to stop it from sending their aircraft into fatal nosedives in 2018 and 2019.

After global outrage and a nearly two-year grounding of the Max fleet, Boeing updated the MCAS system to prevent a repeat of the deadly malfunction.

In 2021, Boeing had avoided prosecution with a $2.5 billion settlement that included a $243.6 million fine and a promise to strengthen anti-fraud compliance. But federal prosecutors later found that Boeing violated those terms—triggering renewed legal action.

Plea Deal Rejected Over DEI Controversy

A plea deal reached in July 2023, which would have had Boeing plead guilty and face an independent monitor, was rejected by U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor. The judge raised concerns that Boeing’s and the government’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies could influence who would be appointed to oversee compliance.

The newly announced agreement replaces the independent monitor with an “independent compliance consultant,” who will evaluate Boeing’s internal reforms and report back to federal officials.

Corporate Immunity, Public Outrage

Critics say the revised deal is little more than a high-priced pass.

“For Boeing, this is a business expense. For 346 families, this is a life sentence of grief with no justice,” one aviation safety advocate told reporters.

As the aviation world digests the deal, one question lingers in the air: Can real accountability ever come with a price tag?

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