I tend to particularly agree with your first paragraph, Larry. As a current employ of one aerospace company and a former employee of numerous other aerospace manufacturers, I as well do wonder what sort of documents he would have in his position?
According to the linked job position provided in the article, the position of “Chief Technical Pilot” does not even include FAA DER qualifications or duties. So there would be no notes to collect from his activities conducted while wearing his “DER hat.” This particular action by the U.S. Justice Department smells to me like a stunt conducted by government minions of a banana republic.
Am I mistaken in feeling that the Justice Department is stepping out of bounds with their subpoena of documents from a former Boeing employee - as well as their whole “broad investigation into the crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia?” It seems to me that Mr. Forkner, at this time, owes the Justice Department nothing more than a polite but firm referral to the Boeing Company of Chicago, Illinois (and perhaps a strongly worded request to get off his lawn).