XPost: alt.business, alt.aviation.safety, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
XPost: talk.politics.guns, sac.politics
https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton- launches-investigation-into-boeing-parts-supplier-requests-dei-documents/
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he’s looking
into a company that supplies parts to Boeing, and part of his
investigation includes whether its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) commitments factored into safety issues.
Paxton announced Thursday he sent a “request to examine” letter to Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc., which has a facility in Texas and makes the fuselages for the Boeing 737 Max. He said Texas law gives him the
authority to request documents from the company, including information
about manufacturing defects in its products.
Randy Erben, an adjunct professor at the University of Texas School of
Law, said companies must comply with these requests.
“The Texas Constitution gives the attorney general broad authority to
examine, investigate and prosecute corporations to ensure that they’re in compliance with our statutes here in the state,” Erben explained. “The legislature implemented that constitutional authority by giving the
attorney general the power to request, to examine any corporation or other business that files in the state of Texas, to essentially look at their
records to ensure that they are in compliance and are engaging in acts and conduct that are consistent with its governing documents and the laws of
the state. He has the power to investigate and do most anything else with regard to those documents and any other corporate activities.”
In a statement, Paxton wrote, “The potential risks associated with certain airplane models are deeply concerning and potentially life-threatening to Texans. I will hold any company responsible if they fail to maintain the standards required by the law and will do everything in my power to ensure manufacturers take passenger safety seriously.”
Joe Buccino, a spokesperson for Spirit AeroSystems, responded Friday to Paxton’s announcement.
“While we do not comment on investigations, Spirit is wholly focused on providing the highest quality products to all our customers, to include
the Boeing Company,” Buccino wrote.
Additionally, Paxton is asking Spirit AeroSystems for certain documents
about DEI policies and “whether those commitments are unlawful or are compromising the company’s manufacturing processes,” according to a news release sent out Thursday.
One example Paxton’s asking for Spirit to hand over is proof of “its claim
that a diverse workplace improves product quality and/or ‘enhances
performance’ and/or ‘helps Spirit make better decisions.'” A footnote
contains a link to the company’s career page promoting DEI.
Antonio Ingram, an assistant counsel for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund,
said this looks like the state’s crackdown on DEI is expanding past
college campuses in Texas. He worries about what these specific requests
might imply.
“The notion that the allegation of malfeasance of Boeing as being tied to
a potential program related to inclusion of racial minorities or women or
queer people, I think it really is telling that in this current political climate, there’s a newfound suspicion about the presence of people who
were historically discriminated against,” Ingram said. “There’s still in
some ways a view of inferiority and even incompetence, by their mere
inclusion into certain institutions, including corporations like Boeing.”
Paxton’s office said Spirit has until April 17 to respond and provide the documents he’s requesting.
KXAN also reached out Friday morning to Boeing, and a spokesperson said
the company had no comment on this matter.
Spirit AeroSystems as well as Boeing came under intense scrutiny after an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 had to make an emergency landing on Jan. 5 when
a door plug blew out of the side of the plane shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon. In a preliminary report released in February, the NTSB
said four bolts that help keep the door plug in place were missing.
Earlier this month, Boeing confirmed it’s in talks to buy Spirit
AeroSystems again. It once owned Spirit and would like to reacquire it so
that it could improve plane quality and safety. Spirit said in a statement confirming the talks that this does not mean, though, that a sale is a
done deal.
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President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.
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