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Boeing<\/a> Co. is discussing a potential path forward with the US Defense Department to preserve its government contract business after the company agreed to plead guilty to a criminal charge tied to two fatal crashes of its 737 Max jet, according to a person familiar with the discussions.<\/p>\n A Pentagon spokesperson separately said on Monday that the department will assess the plea agreement and related matters to \u201cmake a determination as to what steps are necessary and appropriate to protect the federal government.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n The talks come after Boeing\u2019s guilty plea risked calling into question the viability of such contracts. Boeing\u2019s defense, space and security division accounted for about a third of the company\u2019s total revenue last year.<\/p>\n The government contracts are more important than ever as it relies on its defense division to counteract plunging revenue at its commercial airplane business. The person who confirmed the talks, which were reported earlier Monday by Reuters, asked to remain anonymous to discuss the private conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boeing reached an agreement in principle with the Justice Department early on Monday, under which the company would plead guilty to criminal conspiracy in connection with the Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. As part of the deal, which requires court approval, Boeing would pay a fine and agree to install a corporate monitor for three years.\u00a0<\/p>\n The agreement was reached after the government determined the company had violated a prior 2021 deal struck in the waning days of the Trump administration.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the situation Boeing faces is rare, it\u2019s not unprecedented. The Defense Logistics Agency, which oversees the Pentagon\u2019s supply chain, issued a formal\u00a0determination<\/a>\u00a0in 2008 that Siemens<\/a> AG remained a responsible contractor for US government business and was still eligible for public procurement deals, even after the company\u00a0pleaded guilty<\/a>\u00a0to violating US anti-corruption laws.\u00a0<\/p>\n Boeing could also seek waivers from government agencies. It\u2019s currently unclear how the issue might be resolved.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nSubscribe to the CEO Daily newsletter to get global CEO perspectives on the biggest stories in business.\u00a0<\/span>Sign up<\/a>\u00a0for free.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n