Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

News

Attorney for Dead Boeing Whistleblowers Speaks Out

An attorney who represented the two Boeing whistleblowers who died in recent months said that the men were “heroes.”

Brian Knowles told The New York Post: “These men were heroes. So are all the whistleblowers. They loved the company and wanted to help the company do better. They didn’t speak out to be aggravating or for fame. They’re raising concerns because people’s lives are at stake.”

Joshua Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems turned whistleblower, died last week after contracting a sudden illness, his family said. His death came less than two months after a second Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, was found dead with a gunshot wound that authorities said appeared to be self-inflicted.

Suspicions were exacerbated when a self-described family friend of Barnett’s claimed in a media interview that he had said: “If anything happens to me it’s not suicide.”

Knowles, who was Barnett and Dean’s attorney, told The Post that he was unsure what to make of Barnett’s death.

“I knew John Barnett for seven years and never saw anything that would indicate he would take his own life,” Knowles said. “Then again, I’ve never dealt with someone who did (commit suicide.) So maybe you don’t see the signs. I don’t know.”

The Post noted that attorneys for the men hope that their deaths won’t scare away 10 other Boeing whistleblowers.

Knowles noted that the Charleston, South Carolina, police are still finishing the investigation into Barnett’s death and that testing will soon reveal more information about Dean’s death.

Company Under Pressure

Boeing has been under pressure following a series of safety incidents with its aircraft earlier this year. Its CEO, Dave Calhoun, announced in March that he will step down at the end of the year following the crisis.

The company came under increased scrutiny last month when several witnesses, including two whistleblowers, testified before the Senate about the company’s practices.

Boeing is today due to launch its long-awaited first crewed flight of its Starliner spacecraft, which will take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida with two NASA astronauts on board.

Liftoff is scheduled to be at 10:34 p.m. local time and comes at a tense moment for the aviation company.

TOP STORIES

News

2 min readThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reported preparing to begin mass layoffs as early as next week as the Trump administration works...

News

2 min readSeveral House Republicans are preparing articles of impeachment against the federal judges who are blocking some of President Donald Trump’s and Elon...

News

3 min readSenior Trump administration officials are heading to Saudi Arabia to start peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators, according to a Republican...

News

< 1 min read A new poll reveals that former Vice President Kamala Harris would be the Democratic frontrunner for governor of California if...

Advertisement