^"Boeing Dismisses Two Executives for Unethical Conduct". Chicago: Boeing Company. November 24, 2003. Retrieved 2010-09-24. Boeing Executive Vice President and CFO Mike Sears has been dismissed for cause effective immediately as the result of circumstances surrounding the hiring of Darleen Druyun, a former U.S. government official. Druyun, who has been vice president and deputy general manager of Missile Defense Systems, also has been dismissed for cause. Sears was dismissed for violating company policies by communicating directly and indirectly with Druyun about future employment when she had not disqualified herself from acting in her official government capacity on matters involving Boeing. In addition, an internally initiated review found both attempted to conceal their misconduct.
^Markon, Jerry; Renae Merle (November 16, 2004). "Ex-Boeing CFO Pleads Guilty in Druyun Case". The Washington Post. p. E01. Retrieved 2010-10-15. The former chief financial officer for Boeing Co. pleaded guilty yesterday to a conflict-of-interest charge, admitting his role in the illegal hiring of an Air Force official who was overseeing military contracts involving the aerospace giant. Michael M. Sears, 57, entered his plea in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria. Sears, who was once considered a leading candidate to be Boeing's chief executive
^"Why Boeing's Culture Breeds Turmoil". BloombergBusinessWeek. March 21, 2005. Archived from the original on March 13, 2005. Retrieved 2010-10-15. Former CFO Michael Sears was sentenced to four months in prison in February for his role in the illegal job negotiations with Air Force procurement officer Darleen Druyun. Insiders say the controversy was part of his attempt to amass a power base at his rivals' expense. In 2002, Druyun, an Air Force procurement czar looking to move to the private sector, was possibly the most sought-after executive-to-be in the aerospace industry. With her understanding of the Pentagon procurement process and her contacts, Boeing, and most of its rivals, tried hard to land her. James F. Albaugh, a front-runner in the Boeing CEO race and head of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems, talked with her at least once under the assumption that she had recused herself from contract negotiations with Boeing, but he came up dry. It was only when Sears went back for one last try that Boeing had a deal, according to e-mail released as part of the criminal investigation of Sears and Druyun. That coup gave Sears a huge advantage over both Albaugh and Mulally. It also had the potential to expand his power base by making Druyun an ally. Sears previously declined to comment through an attorney and could not be reached for this story.