For the avoidance of doubt, Forkner is - and must be seen as - innocent until proven guilty. Posting here as SLF/attorney I don't want to leave any ambiguity about that, resulting from my comments.
As tdracer noted, while there can be indemnity for ordinary misdeeds, wilful misconduct is a different matter. And criminal misconduct, if proven, even more so. (This is a bit out of my area, but everyone knows there's no legal advice here and anybody who is actually interested can easily find all sorts of sources to read online.)
About whether Boeing could in effect set its plea bargain aside, the terms of indemnity generally are set by official corporate documents, and it is doubtful the company could pull Forkner out from under the bus they threw him under, consistent with its formal indemnity policy. (But if it tried, wouldn't that be a fun amendment to draft for the shareholders' derivative suit in Delaware....lawyer thinking, sorry).
All along, I mean from the time when the problem messages surfaced, I've thought that the company was trying to set Forkner up as a center of attention, not so much as a scapegoat. Though despicably corrupt in the saga of the 737 MAX Boeing's senior people weren't stupid; they knew not even a haplessly messaging chief technical pilot could be turned into a scapegoat given the reams of evidence of corporate wrongdoing. But maybe his messages could be sensationalized, and deflect attention, long enough at least for those golden, you know, golden parachutes to have their ripcords yanked.
Last edited by WillowRun 6-3; 15th Oct 2021 at 19:10.
Reason: Herr Typo war hier.