The breaking news story of whistleblower suicide doesn’t hold up to basic scrutiny.
Barnett’s attorney, Brian Knowles, called the passing of his client “tragic” … and went on to express explicit doubt about the circumstances of his death, making sure to call the self-inflicted gunshot wound cops are citing as “alleged.”
What’s more startling is Barnett was literally in the midst of a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing — his former employer of 32 years — as he was alleging retaliation for sounding the alarm on what he characterized as cutting corners on assembly lines for their planes.
It’s still too early to speculate, yet circumstances (notably opposite to Philip Haney, who was depressed and left a suicide note) suggest Barnett wasn’t planning to die. He left his hotel room and went into the parking garage to head to deposition, when perhaps he was intercepted as he got into his truck.
Last week, he gave a formal deposition in which he was questioned by Boeing’s lawyers, before being cross-examined by his own counsel.
He had been due to undergo further questioning on Saturday. When he did not appear, enquiries were made at his hotel.
He was subsequently found dead in his truck in the hotel car park.
Suicide with a gun on the way to do what he wanted to do? It doesn’t make sense, especially when you see the impact he was having, when you consider the moment he was in.
“They started pressuring us to not document defects, to work outside the procedures, to allow defective material to be installed without being corrected. They started bypassing procedures and not maintaining configurement control of airplanes, not maintaining control of non conforming parts – they just wanted to get the planes pushed out the door and make the cash register ring.”
Related, from 2017:
Last month, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 to provide more safety for whistleblowers…
And related, from 2023.
After Killings, Calls to Protect South Africa’s Whistleblowers
Really concerning that (potentially) third world tactics are used by an American company to silence their employee of 32 years who just wanted to make their product better and safer. Surely that’s in every company’s interest? Airlines would still buy the plane if it cost $90002000 instead of $90000000 because some bolts and wiring needed to be replaced.
so dodging the fig responsability bullet withstanding, i don’t think this is just about cutting some corners to make a profit, i think that is more about the betrayal itself, maybe self sabotage to purposely drive the stock down, or simply to covertly cause death and destruction for an evil agenda, in any case i presume blood on their hands is just priceless to them, showing the power that they can get away with murder lit, without the need for silly reparations, just like with jeffrey epstein, then it totally makes sense…