Business and Finance
Texas Attorney General Investigates Diversity
Texas Attorney General Investigates Diversity at Boeing Parts Supplier
DALLAS (AP) – Texas’ attorney general has opened an investigation right into a key Boeing supplier that’s already under scrutiny by federal regulators for the standard of parts it supplies to the planemaker.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office said it began looking into Spirit AeroSystems due to “obvious manufacturing defects” in parts that “have led to multiple disturbing or dangerous incidents.”
In a press release Friday, a Spirit spokesman said: “While we do not comment on investigations, Spirit is completely focused on delivering the highest quality products to all of our customers, including Boeing.”
Paxton asked the Wichita, Kansas-based supplier to show over documents developed since early 2022 referring to communications with investors and Boeing about part defects and the corporate’s corrective steps.
The filing detailed internal discussions about Spirit’s efforts to create a various workforce “and whether these commitments are unlawful or threaten the company’s manufacturing processes.” Paxton asked for a breakdown of Spirit’s workforce by race, sexual orientation and other aspects, and whether the composition of the staff has modified over time.
Since a Spirit-made door plug panel blew up an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max in January, some conservatives have tried to link aviation safety to manufacturer diversity.
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Paxton is a conservative Republican who this week agreed to pay victims $271,000 in restitution and take 15 hours of legal ethics training to settle securities fraud charges. Paxton pleaded not guilty within the 9-year-old’s case.
The Federal Aviation Administration has launched an investigation into the Boeing Spirit following the Alaska Airlines incident. An FAA audit of producing procedures at the Spirit plant gave the corporate failing grades in seven of 13 areas.
Boeing is in talks to purchase Spirit, spun off nearly 20 years ago as a part of a plan to tighten oversight of production in its supply chain.