Would Boeing Murder a Whistleblower?
Summary
TLDRThe transcript discusses the suspicious death of John Barnett, a former Boeing employee and whistleblower, who was found dead in his car during the final day of depositions in his case against Boeing. Barnett was known for raising safety concerns about the 787 Dreamliner. The circumstances of his death have led to speculation about foul play, especially given Boeing's history and the timing. The conversation also touches on Boeing's corporate culture, legal issues, and the potential need for significant management changes to address the company's quality control and ethical challenges.
Takeaways
- 🚨 John Barnett, a former Boeing employee and whistleblower regarding safety issues in the production of the 787 Dreamliner, was found dead in his car on March 9th, 2024.
- 💭 The death was reported by mainstream media as an apparent suicide, but suspicions of foul play exist due to the timing and circumstances surrounding his death.
- 🗣 Barnett had previously expressed concerns about his safety and warned a family friend not to accept any official narrative of his death as a suicide.
- 🔍 The Charleston Police Department is investigating the case, but no federal agencies have been involved as of the time of the interview.
- 🤝 John Barnett's former colleagues and a former Boeing executive discussed the case, with some expressing fear and the belief that Boeing might have been involved in his death.
- 🔫 Barnett was found with a gunshot wound and a silver pistol, the ownership of which has not been confirmed. An object resembling a note was also found in the car.
- 📉 Boeing's morale is reported to be very low, with long-time employees feeling a sense of betrayal and disappointment due to the company's recent actions and focus on stock price.
- 🛫 Despite the 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019, which resulted in 346 deaths, Boeing managed to avoid significant legal repercussions through a deferred prosecution agreement.
- 💼 The agreement was criticized for being too lenient on Boeing and for its similarities to the non-prosecution agreement given to Jeffrey Epstein in 2007.
- 🌐 The interviewee suggests that Boeing needs a management overhaul and questions whether the company can truly course correct with stock performance driving executive compensation.
- 🔄 The discussion highlights the broader issue of corporate ethics, the role of financialization in industry, and the potential need for a shift in values and priorities within Boeing.
Q & A
Who was John Mitchell Barnett and why was he notable?
-John Mitchell Barnett was a former Boeing employee turned whistleblower. He was known for his substantial safety and quality reports to the Federal Aviation Administration concerning Boeing's production of the 787 Dreamliner. He also appeared in the 2022 Netflix documentary 'Downfall: The Case Against Boeing'.
When and how did John Barnett die?
-John Barnett died on March 9th, 2024. He was found dead in his car in the parking lot of his hotel in Charleston, South Carolina, on the final day of depositions in his whistleblower case against Boeing. His death was reported as an apparent suicide, with him found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
What suspicions arose from the timing of John Barnett's death?
-The timing of John Barnett's death sparked suspicions of foul play, as it occurred on the final day of depositions in his whistleblower case against Boeing. Furthermore, Barnett had previously cautioned a family friend not to accept any official narratives about his death as a suicide.
What was the reaction of John Barnett's former colleagues and a former Boeing executive to his death?
-John Barnett's former colleagues and a former Boeing executive were open to the notion that Boeing might have been involved in his death. One of his former co-workers, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed fear and stated that if anything happened to them, it wouldn't be suicide.
What was the context of the discussion with the criminal profiler from the FBI?
-The criminal profiler from the FBI, who had worked on the Unibomber case, discussed the potential assassination of John Barnett. He suggested that the manner of Barnett's death could be seen as a warning sign, not necessarily to prevent him from testifying, but to deter others who might consider blowing the whistle in the future.
What was the outcome of the 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019?
-The 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 resulted in the deaths of 346 people (189 in the first crash and 157 in the second). After the first crash, it was clear to everyone at Boeing that another crash was imminent, yet they did not ground the plane. Instead, they authorized $20 billion in additional share buybacks and introduced a program to effectively eliminate quality control.
What was the deferred prosecution agreement signed by Boeing on January 6, 2021?
-The deferred prosecution agreement signed by Boeing on January 6, 2021, was an agreement with the Justice Department not to prosecute the company. The DOJ stated that the problems found within Boeing were not systemic and involved very few people, which was later criticized as a sweetheart deal similar to the one Jeffrey Epstein received in 2007.
What changes occurred within Boeing's leadership after the 737 Max crashes?
-After the 737 Max crashes, there was a leadership reshuffle at Boeing. Dave Calhoun, who was stepping down along with other executives at the end of the year, had a robust exit package tied to the company's stock price in the coming years.
What is the opinion of the investigations editor at the American Prospect on Boeing's future?
-The investigations editor at the American Prospect believes that Boeing needs an extreme management overhaul and that the stock price should not be the primary driver of executive compensation. They suggest that Boeing needs a leader who believes in building companies and quality, as it has become clear that Boeing has lost the ability to competently build an airplane.
What was the role of Kirkland and Ellis law firm in the deferred prosecution agreement for Boeing?
-Kirkland and Ellis law firm played a significant role in drafting the deferred prosecution agreement for Boeing. The firm's senior partners were involved, and the agreement was structured similarly to the one for Jeffrey Epstein in 2007, both requiring lies and indemnifying conspirators.
What is the broader context of Boeing being a top secret military contractor?
-As a top secret military contractor, Boeing is reminded that spies are everywhere, and there is a principle in US law that there are no accidental deaths during the commission of a felony. This means that Boeing's actions are closely watched when it comes to significant safety issues and potential criminal activity.
Outlines
🚨 Whistleblower's Death Raises Questions: Boeing's Involvement
The untimely death of John Mitchell Barnett, a former Boeing employee and whistleblower, has sparked controversy and suspicion. Barnett was known for reporting safety and quality issues concerning the production of Boeing's 787 Dreamliner to the Federal Aviation Administration. His death, reported as a probable suicide, occurred on the last day of depositions in his whistleblower case against Boeing. The circumstances surrounding his death, including his previous warnings to a family friend not to accept any narrative of suicide, have led to questions about potential foul play. Barnett's death has resonated with former colleagues and Boeing employees, some of whom fear that the company may be involved. The investigation is ongoing, and the final determination of the cause of death is yet to be confirmed.
🕵️♂️ Investigation and Speculation: Probing the 'Suicide' Theory
The investigation into John Barnett's death is ongoing, with the Charleston Police Department handling the case so far without the involvement of federal agencies. The circumstances of his death, including the discovery of his body in his car with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and a note, suggest suicide. However, details such as the nature of the note and the wound have not been released. The conversation includes insights from a medical examiner and a criminal profiler, who suggest that if Barnett's death was an assassination, it was carried out professionally. There is also discussion about the potential motive, with theories that the death may serve as a warning to other potential whistleblowers. The interviewee shares an anonymous quote from a former Boeing executive, hinting at the company's status as a top-secret military contractor and the principle that there's no such thing as an accidental death during a felony.
🛫 Legal Maneuvering and the 'Sweetheart Deal': Boeing's Past
Boeing's history of legal issues and the handling of the 737 Max crashes are discussed, highlighting the company's ability to avoid severe consequences. The two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 resulted in the deaths of 346 people. Despite knowing about the issues after the first crash, Boeing did not ground the plane, leading to the second crash. Instead, they authorized share buybacks and eliminated quality control measures. The discussion also touches on the deferred prosecution agreement signed by Boeing in 2021, which allowed the company to avoid prosecution, claiming the problems were not systemic. The agreement is compared to the non-prosecution deal given to Jeffrey Epstein in 2007, with both involving senior partners at the law firm Kirkland and Ellis. The interviewee suggests that Boeing needs a management overhaul and questions whether the company can course-correct with stock performance driving executive compensation.
🌐 The Future of Boeing: Leadership, Stock Performance, and Quality Control
The conversation concludes with a discussion on Boeing's future, the leadership changes, and the potential impact on the company's direction. The upcoming departure of Dave Calhoun and other executives, along with their exit packages tied to the company's stock performance, raises concerns about the company's priorities. The interviewee suggests that Boeing needs a significant management overhaul and questions whether the company can truly change course when stock performance is the primary driver of executive compensation. The discussion also touches on the potential hiring of Larry Culp, the current CEO of GE, as a possible solution to Boeing's problems. The interviewee emphasizes the existential problem Boeing faces in its ability to competently build airplanes and suggests that this issue is not reflected in the stock price.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Boeing
💡Whistleblower
💡Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
💡Suicide
💡Investigation
💡Corporate Crime
💡Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA)
💡Stock Price
💡Corporate Culture
💡Assassination
Highlights
John Barnett, a former Boeing employee and whistleblower, was found dead in his car in a hotel parking lot.
Barnett was known for raising safety and quality concerns about Boeing's 787 Dreamliner production to the Federal Aviation Administration.
His death was reported on March 9th, 2024, and was initially considered a suicide by mainstream media.
Barnett had previously warned a family friend not to accept any official narrative of his death as a suicide.
Investigations editor at the American Prospect, Mo Pic, has reported on Boeing and shares insights into the case.
Barnett was in Charleston, South Carolina, to give a deposition in his whistleblower case against Boeing.
The suspicious timing of his death, on the final day of depositions, has raised questions about foul play.
Barnett had been considering writing a book and starting a podcast, indicating he had no motive for suicide.
The Charleston Police Department is investigating the case, but no federal agencies are involved as of yet.
There is a history of mistrust and morale issues within Boeing, with some employees fearing for their safety.
Boeing's handling of the 737 Max crashes and subsequent cover-ups has been criticized.
Boeing signed a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department, avoiding prosecution for their actions.
The agreement was criticized as being too lenient and similar to the non-prosecution agreement given to Jeffrey Epstein in 2007.
Questions are raised about Boeing's ability to course correct with a leadership reshuffle and focus on stock performance.
The need for a management overhaul at Boeing is emphasized to address quality and safety issues.
Boeing's future is uncertain, with concerns about the company's ability to competently build airplanes.
The interviewee suggests that Boeing needs a leader who values quality and growth over financialization.
The interviewee's work on Boeing and other topics can be found on the American Prospect website.
Transcripts
would Boeing murder a whistleblower my
name is James Lee and you're watching
Beyond the headlines on breaking
[Music]
points this morning police in Charleston
South Carolina tell NBC news they are
aware of the death of a former Boeing
Employee turned whistleblower John
Mitchell Barnett a notable whistleblower
known for his substantial safety and
quality reports to the Federal Aviation
Administration concerning Boeing's
production of the 787 Dreamliner who
also appeared in the 2022 Netflix
documentary downfall the case against
Boeing tragically passed away on March
9th
2024 the mainstream media have mostly
reported his death as an apparent
suicide Barnett was found dead in his
car in the parking lot of his hotel on
the final day of depositions in his
whistleblower case against Boeing the
Curious timing of his death have sparked
some suspicions of Foul Play play and
adding to that mystery reports also
indicate that he had previously
cautioned a family friend not to accept
any official narratives about his death
as a suicide he wasn't concerned about
safety because I asked him I said aren't
you scared and he said and his voice and
his the way he would talk no I ain't
scared um he said but if anything
happens to me it's not
suicide joining us today is Mo pic she
is the investigations editor at the
American Prospect who has done some
fantastic reporting on Boeing thank you
for being here thanks for having me I
really appreciate it all right we're not
going to bury the lead today did Boeing
put out a a hit on whistleblower John
Barnett obviously everything is still
under investigation but I know in your
recent article you mentioned talking to
a few of his old colleagues also a
former Boeing executive what are their
thoughts also at this point what do we
know for sure
well um what we know for sure is that
John Barnett was found dead in the in
his dad Ram in the parking lot of a
hotel where he was staying in Charleston
South Carolina to give a deposition that
had lasted um was it was a three-day
deposition he was on the third day and
he was found dead in his car from a an
apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound
he was holding um a silver
pistol my sense is that the pistol did
belong to him but that that hasn't been
confirmed um one way or the other and
there was something that was uh in the
driver's seat that looked like something
like a note um again that the details on
that have not really released yet you
know so so my first impression was that
oh this you know this guy must have
killed himself right I mean it it kind
of doesn't you know it really like I I'm
always open to the idea that you know um
you know Val play might be there I
started to change my mind when um I
think a lot of uh a lot of workers
former Bo Boeing um workers in both the
factories and in the Executive offices
were completely open to the notion that
Boeing might have done it I spoke to uh
one of his former co-workers in
particular who was very terrified this
person did not want to be identified and
want you know anything that they told me
to be you know to make them identifiable
but this person told me that and this
person had you know blown the whistle at
this same Bo Factory and dealt with a
lot of Fallout as a result of that and
this person told me straight up if I die
you know please like I'm there's no way
I would ever commit suicide like even if
it is a car accident like please like
get it investigated I mean that was just
not what I expected I didn't I did not
expect anybody who worked at Boeing to
think that Boeing would do this it there
there is incredibly bad morale within
that company everybody who cared about
the company for decades um sometimes a
half century you know the people who
have um you know I've I've written about
Boeing for about five years on and off
and um most of my sources you know
worked there for at least 30 years they
it was um very close to their heart and
that's why you know when you hear when
you talk to the old B heads they always
bring up the McDonald Douglas murder you
know this is 26 years ago but it feels
like yesterday to a lot of these folks
because that is when everything changed
and learning more about John Barnett he
was at this point in his um in his case
where the home stretch was in sight he
was really excited he was thinking about
writing a book he was thinking about
trying to you know do some sort of a
podcast he was thinking about you know
finally enjoying his retirement for once
he was ated to likely you know receive a
fair bit of money because he'd been kind
of pushed out of the company early he
had no real motive to to kill himself
especially on day three of a three-day
deposition on the other hand of course
um again they did a very good job anyone
who's seen the octopus murders you know
if if somebody um assassinated him they
weren't sloppy about it you know they
they really did a very good job at
making it look like um a potential
suicide of course you know there's a lot
that we don't know we don't know what
that note looks like that's extremely
important evidence we don't know what
the you know what the wound looks like
all of that is has yet to come out yeah
do we have a I'm wondering if we have a
a timeline for the investigation so you
said it was the Charleston Police
Department that's involved is it just
them or their federal agencies um
getting in on the action no federal
agencies um as of yet I you know again
the the law enforcement has has been you
know repeatedly said it's still under
investigation and and everybody who
knows anything like his his family and
his lawyer they've been pretty tight
lipped because they don't want to
antagonize the thing that I you know
that is a little bit troubling I spoke
with I'm a medical examiner in in
jackonville and he said you know like in
suicide and in one thing about suspected
suicides is that generally the um in in
a lot of you know bigger uh areas these
days they don't have medical examiners
doing those autopsies those autopsies
are often times performed by coroner
assistants and I SP I spoke to some um a
a criminal profiler from um you know who
who had been with the FBI for a long
time worked on the um unibomber case and
this guy Jim fitzgeralds told me that it
seemed like it was the type of um the
type of thing that you know if you were
going to look at it as as a potential
assassination the whole aspect you know
that the whole Saga um made him think
that it was like a warning sign that it
wasn't necessarily um that they were
trying to prevent him from testifying
since he had already given two days of
depositions but that they were trying to
uh send out a warning to anybody else
who might think about you know
potentially blowing the whistle
themselves yeah I wanted to ask you
about um there's one interesting quote
that I read in your article um I believe
it was an anonymous quote from a former
Boeing executive and you wrote or he he
said that it's a top secret military
contractor remember there are spies
everywhere and more importantly there is
a principle in American law that there's
no such thing as an accidental death
during the commission of a felony I was
wondering if you could ex expand on that
what did he mean by this so here's the
thing and this is the the broader
context here Boeing has been
extraordinary lucky up till now you know
3
346 people passenger and crew died on
737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 four
and a half months apart almost identical
crashes and after the first um 189 died
on a li air accident they knew that
there was something wrong everybody in
Boeing knew that this was going to
happen again it was just a matter of
when not if they did not they should
have obviously grounded the plane after
the first 189
passengers and and crew died that is
obvious they did not do that instead of
doing that they authorized 20 billion
dollar in additional share BuyBacks and
introduced a a a um program to eliminate
quality control essentially so when they
talk about the commission of a felony
they're talking about that the murder of
those 157 additional
passengers and this is a felony that
required a lot of you know a a pretty
vast conspiracy iracy to actually get
away with because Boeing was under
criminal investigation after the first
mcast crash in 2018 the criminal
investigation widened understandably
after the second crash it widened to
include the 787 Factory it widen to
include um an investigation that
involved in you know extensive
interviews of John Barnett and
then it narrowed then sometime in in
2020 the prosecutors that were handling
the case against Boeing got changed and
the um the case got transferred to Texas
from the New York fraud department and
Boeing ended up on um January 6
2021
um understandably this never made any
headlines but on January 6 2021 Boeing
signed what is known as a deferred
prosecution agreement and the justice
department essentially agreed to not
prosecute Boeing because as it said you
know the the problems that they found in
the company were not systemic and they
involved very few people so while Boeing
got away with it you know with this this
real I mean you can't even call it a
slap on the wrist it's it's like a a
wrist massage yeah I think you compared
that yeah I think you compared that to
uh in one of your articles as like
similar to the sweetheart deal that
Jeffrey abene got in 2007 so I'm
wondering how how is Boeing able to
secure such a deal from the doj well
it's it's not simply similar it involves
a lot of the same people it involves you
know very senior Partners at the mega
Law Firm Kirkland and Ellis crucially
Boeing's Chief criminal defense attorney
in this case was the deputy um attorney
general under I believe it was Mesi
during the bishop Administration who is
the highest known official to sign off
on Jeffrey Epstein's 2007 non
prosecution agreement it both of those
agreements were very similar in that
they required lies right you know that
the the the government actually lies and
it's the ver prosecution agreement on
Boeing saying that you know there were
no systemic problems everything that we
found you know this is this is a solidly
ethical company nothing happened this is
just provably false and similarly with
Epstein you know it the I forget what
the exact phrasing was but that
agreement um actually indemnified all of
his conspirators even though who were
not even named both agreements drafted
by senior Partners at Kirkland and Ellis
and put together by a lot of there's a
lot of cross-pollination in those two
agreements in fact the meric Garland's
doj made the case that they aren't
actually victims the the the poor people
who died on Ethiopia um 301 they were
not actually the victims of the crime
the only victim of Boeing's crime um is
the FAA yeah yeah it's a lot of
disturbing details coming out right now
um but before we wrap I just I wanted to
ask or I wanted to talk about Boeing's
future for a minute because I think it's
important that maybe it's in America's
best interest to have a competent
commercial airline manufacturer and we
did see some leadership reshuffle after
the max crashes you were talking about
in 2018
2019 and now we're also seeing another
leadership reshuffle with Dave Calhoun
he's stepping down along with some other
Executives at the end of the year with
some pretty robust exit packages and
then it all depends on it's like tied to
the company's stock price in the coming
years so my question is can Boeing
actually course correct here if stock
performance is still the number one
incentive that's driving executive
compensation I I don't really understand
the stock I I you know I I would say no
I would say that Boeing that that the
stock
price there needs to be some sort of
extreme management overhaul when they
did a point I mean it it was very
obvious Calhoun was like it was like
when Tim gner was nominated for treasury
secretary pretty much everyone who knew
who Tim gner was was like oh
God this is nothing's gonna happen no
one's gonna get in trouble City
everybody is just gonna get away with it
and that's what happened and David
Calhoun is a similar figure he was the
lead you know director of the board he
was the biggest I mean he's a guy who
worked at GE in Blackstone he doesn't
actually show up to the office ever he
changed where the office was he you know
uses the perch to fly his plane around I
mean it's completely worthless piece of
you know I say that without knowing
it but the latest trendy thing to say
about Boeing is that what they really
need is um Larry Culp the current CEO of
GE a sort of an irony because Boeing's
um uh three out of their last four CEOs
whove come from GE um have been proteges
of Jack Welch and they've absolutely
the you know Boeing just the same
way that Jack Welch ultimately GE
by completely financializing it and
refusing to Grapple with the fact that
building something that involves four
million Parts is not the same thing as
you know like manufacturing light bulbs
or Post-it notes which is what you know
mcnarney used to do so I think that
there is a real effort within the sort
of you know davo set to say hey you know
actually the market can take care of
this and if they just hire the right guy
the right MBA this guy Larry Culp who
maybe isn't as much of a sociopath who
believe in building companies and
putting them on the the the road to
growth and who believe in quality
because it it has been such a you know
total it's very clear to like everyone
in aviation now that Boeing actually
can't build a plane that they have lost
the ability to competently build an airp
plane and that is like an existential
problem and it's not reflected in the
stock price I think a lot of that stuff
is you know a the product of algorithms
and and and you know the com this sort
of conspiracy of algorithms and fraud
yeah as a as an MBA myself I can confirm
a lot of sociopathic behavior that I see
um and they don't know they don't think
it's it's that way but um it is from
outside looking and it definitely is um
anyways um this is obviously developing
story so hope to have you back on really
quick anywhere you want to point the
audience to if you uh if they want to
find or if you want them to find more of
your work if you look at prospect.org
and and search for Boeing I think you'll
find a lot of my stories I also write a
lot about healthc care and um you know
all kinds of things so um anything that
involves the intersection of organized
crime and and finance um
I like to sniff around those cases
awesome well everybody go follow Mo
thank you so much for coming on the show
today awesome thank you so much for
having me that is it for me this week if
you're looking for more documentary
style deep Dives on various topics
related to business politics and Society
you can follow me on my YouTube channel
5149 with James Lee the link will be in
the description below as always keep on
tuning in to Breaking points and thank
you for your time today
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)