DOJ Compliance Monitorships: The Use of Corporate Monitors and the Future of the Boeing Company

Jessica Kolditz

Corporations often underestimate the benefits that a monitorship may bring to their organization due to high costs and unwanted involvement in company operations. However, when used appropriately, monitorships have the power to innovate compliance programs and institute strong corporate governance standards in many corporations. Seeing as monitors are imposed after a finding of criminal wrongdoing, it is crucial that a corporation prevent similar misconduct in the future, particularly in our increasingly regulatory and technologically dependent society. This Article will consider the successful monitorship completed by Volkswagen in 2020 and contrast Volkswagen’s experience with a hot topic corporation: The Boeing Company. If Boeing wants to avoid criminal prosecution, the corporation must embrace the idea of a monitorship to remedy the failures being reported by the Federal Aviation Administration. Further, to assist the Department of Justice, I propose the creation of an advisory committee for recommendations of monitorship.