An outside Boeing lobbyist on Capitol Hill sent an email to Republican members of Congress late Wednesday bluntly attempting to discredit the Senate testimony of National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy.
After The Seattle Times asked about the email Friday, both Boeing and the lobbyist scrambled to undo the potential damage.
In a statement, Boeing said it “did not authorize this communication and regret that it was sent. We deeply respect the NTSB and will continue to cooperate fully and transparently with them.”
The lobbyist responded that the message had been sent out inadvertently and without Boeing’s knowledge.
Homendy had scathingly criticized Boeing for failing to produce documentation of the botched installation work on the door plug that blew out midair on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 on Jan. 5.
She also testified that Boeing had not provided the names of all the employees involved, despite repeated requests, and that the NTSB had not been able to interview even the manager of the team involved.
The email was sent by former Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston, now a lobbyist for Washington, D.C.-based Squire Patton Boggs, a prominent law firm that is among the largest lobbying companies in the world. It represents a list of well-heeled clients that includes the Saudi Arabian government.
According to a December roundup of new lobbying appointments on the political news site Politico, Boeing had then just hired Squire to lobby Congress on the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization bill and other legislation affecting the jet maker. Kingston was named to that team.
Homendy had testified that, over the two months since the blowout, the NTSB repeatedly asked Boeing for information related to the faulty installation last September of the door plug and had not received it.
“It’s not for lack of trying,” Homendy said.
Kingston’s letter directly contradicts this.
“In fact, the information that she requested two months ago has been received. What has not been provided is additional information that she just requested this past Saturday, March 2,” Kingston wrote. “Therefore, there have been only two full working days for Boeing to respond.”
This echoes a Boeing claim after Wednesday’s hearing that it provided “early in the investigation” the names of some Boeing employees who worked in the area of the door plug and that the NTSB had asked for a full list of everyone on the Renton aircraft door team only on Saturday.
After Boeing issued that statement Wednesday, NTSB spokesperson Eric Weiss said Homendy “stands by her accurate testimony.”
While Boeing’s official statement after the hearing that day began by offering “deep respect for the NTSB and the critical role they play in aviation safety,” Kingston’s email bypasses such niceties and just flatly contradicts that part of Homendy’s testimony.
Kingston goes on to make a further excuse for Boeing’s alleged tardiness in responding to the NTSB requests, writing that “some of this information is sensitive as it involves personnel, necessitating Boeing’s legal and human resources departments sign off on it.”
And focused solely on denying the NTSB’s position about its request for the names of employees, Kingston’s message offers no comment on another key part of Homendy’s testimony.
His email doesn’t mention Boeing’s failure to provide the records documenting the work that was done on the door plug.
At the Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday, congressional criticism of Boeing’s lack of cooperation with the NTSB was bipartisan.
Ranking Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called it “utterly unacceptable.”
Kingston ends his email to the Republican members of Congress by offering to discuss the matter further and provide additional details.
In an email Friday, Kingston wrote “unfortunately, the email inadvertently was sent out by my office without my knowledge (or Boeing’s) and it should not have been sent.”
On Friday, NTSB spokesperson Weiss reiterated: “Chair Homendy stands by her testimony.”
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