Two US senators criticize DOJ over Boeing plea deal

FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX sits outside the hangar during a media tour of the Boeing 737 MAX at the Boeing plant in Renton, Washington

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two U.S. senators criticized the Justice Department’s plea deal with Boeing struck in July and said the government should take action against the planemaker’s executives “responsible for safety failures,” according to a letter seen by Reuters.

Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Elizabeth Warren in a letter dated Wednesday to the Justice Department said the government had failed to hold Boeing accountable for a a series of safety issues in recent years.

“It is past time for DOJ to take action against corporate executives at Boeing who are responsible for putting passengers and workers at risk in violation of federal laws and regulations,” the letter said.

Boeing declined to comment. The Justice Department confirmed it had received the letter and declined to comment.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)