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The Enron Case That Almost Wasn't
The Enron Case That Almost Wasn't
"When Mr. Berkowitz left his office at 3:30 a.m. on May 16, with the trial's final closing argument just five hours away, he looked around and saw more than a half-dozen bedraggled F.B.I. agents, several of whom had been part of the Enron investigation since it began four years earlier.
One agent's young daughter, a toddler, was so angry at her father for his long absence from home that she refused to come to the phone anymore. Still, none of the agents intended to leave the task force's offices that night. Some of them used a shower in the basement of the federal courthouse to freshen up before that last day of the trial.
DAYS after the jury began deliberating, Mr. Hueston and Mr. Berkowitz took a five-mile jog. Later, they settled into chairs on the deck of Big Woodrow's restaurant on a sweltering Wednesday night. A waitress eased her way through a rowdy crowd, delivering a bucket of crawfish and Corona beers to the prosecutors. As the surrounding crowds watched overhead televisions, cheering on the Houston Astros baseball team, the two men discussed their shared ordeal." [more]
One agent's young daughter, a toddler, was so angry at her father for his long absence from home that she refused to come to the phone anymore. Still, none of the agents intended to leave the task force's offices that night. Some of them used a shower in the basement of the federal courthouse to freshen up before that last day of the trial.
DAYS after the jury began deliberating, Mr. Hueston and Mr. Berkowitz took a five-mile jog. Later, they settled into chairs on the deck of Big Woodrow's restaurant on a sweltering Wednesday night. A waitress eased her way through a rowdy crowd, delivering a bucket of crawfish and Corona beers to the prosecutors. As the surrounding crowds watched overhead televisions, cheering on the Houston Astros baseball team, the two men discussed their shared ordeal." [more]
Labels: Enron
posted by Patrick J. Fitzgerald at 6/05/2006
44 Comments:
Fitz!
Trolls are people too.
All the sacrifices in which the Enron Task Force team have done to bring down Lay and Skilling in the Enron case was worth it!
In other news:
Here is someone in which we have heard in the news for a while, the ex-CEO from Tyco. From WSJ:
"New court filings show that former Tyco CEO Dennis Kozlowski spent $17.7 million in legal fees on his first criminal trial, reports the New York Post. His first case ended in a mistrial; the second ended in a conviction on larceny charges and a 8 1/3 to 25 year prison sentence. The second case came cheaper, according to the court filing, costing him $8 million. His lawyer in both trials was New York white-collar defense attorney Stephen Kaufman.
Kozlowski filed the court papers as part of an attempt to get Tyco’s insurers to cover his legal bills. Representing Kozlowski on the legal fees issue is Jeffrey Glen of Anderson Kill & Olick."
And here is another knucklehead crook who is bellyaching over legal fees! How quickly we forget that Kozlowski's big-spending didn't stop when he was arrested for stealing $600 million from his company. And let's not forget the $6,000 shower curtain! I wonder where is that shower curtain.
Ladies and Gentleman, I would like to introduce to you our WH Press Secretary Deputy Dog Snow in his press conference about same sex marriage vs. civil rights:
From Americablog:
"Tony Snow signaled that Bush considers an amendment barring same-sex marriage a "civil rights" matter, then stumbled when asked to define civil rights...
Q You mentioned civil rights. Are you comparing this to various civil rights measures which have come to the Congress over the years?
MR. SNOW: Not -- well, these -- it --
Q Is this a civil right?
MR. SNOW: Marriage? It actually -- what we're really talking about here is an attempt to try to maintain the traditional meaning of an institution that has maintained one meeting for -- meaning for a period of centuries. And furthermore --
Q And you would equate that with civil rights?
MR. SNOW: No, I'm just saying that I think -- well, I don't know. How do you define civil rights?
Q It's not up to me. Up to you."
How stupid of Snow job to ask the reporter to define civil rights!
Fitz has been eerily quiet for too long. I guess they muzzled him just in the nick of time. Too bad, I thought we had a winner here.
The amendment IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE.
Is now and always has been. The complicit media won't look at it from that perspective because it doesn't serve corporatist-Republican purposes.
I hope as the young children grow up to learn the important part their Dad's made in saving the United States. I know they will be as proud of their Dad's as we are. It's hard for kids to understand and it's sad that the crooks make cases go on when they know their guilty. As for Fitz don't worry he's fine and taking care of business. So many cases so many crooks. For those who support Libby you might tell him to plea guilty and save the taxpayers money because the longer he waits and lies the more information comes to light deepens his guilt. You can see the Bush Administration is running scared by the action their taking. Civil Rights is now the biggest problem in our country other then that we're doing fine right.
"Civil Rights is now the biggest problem in our country other then that we're doing fine right." You are right! But, try telling that to the Gerbil and company who still have an iron plate in their heads that are wasting the taxpayers' money over the gay issue. No matter how the Gerbil can slice it, he is invading "civil rights." He has really crossed the line to invade people's private lives. And the smurf should save the taxpayers' money by pleading guilty. And the crybabies like the Kozlowski of Tyco, Lay, Skilling, and other indicted crooks need stop crying over their legal fees now that they got caught!
Employees get canned for e-mailing
Sending e-mails that contain confidential information or are considered obscene and offensive can often get you disciplined or even fired, survey says.
June 5, 2006: 4:51 PM EDT
NEW YORK (CNN) - Nearly one in three U.S. companies has terminated an employee for violating e-mail policy in the past year, a survey released Monday said.
The survey of 294 U.S. companies with at least 1,000 employees found that, in many cases, employees who sent e-mails containing confidential information about the organization or e-mails that were considered obscene and offensive were disciplined or terminated.
Blogs and Instant Messaging are also a concern to many employers. Seven percent reported that an employee was terminated for such a violation while 17 percent reported that an employee has been disciplined.
Federal prosecutors have used e-mails to build cases against a number of high-profile executives.
"Blogs and Instant Messaging are also a concern to many employers. Seven percent reported that an employee was terminated for such a violation while 17 percent reported that an employee has been disciplined."
I wonder what an investigation of our very own Fitzgerald's staff uncover with email and blogging abuses?
More on the David Safavian's trial. More names are coming out:
Abramoff and Capito: A Missed Opportunity
By Paul Kiel - June 5, 2006, 6:00 PM
"For the most part, we've made our way through the first trial of the Abramoff scandal without too much damage to Members of Congress. Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH), of course, was a frequent topic, but few others were even touched. One of those touched was Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)."
"Here's what her case boils down to: Capito had a chief of staff who was a close friend of Neil Volz, a member of Team Abramoff. Her staffer, Mark Johnson, gladly used her name to run Volz a favor. But when the going got rough and Abramoff needed the Congresswoman herself to weigh in, Volz didn't even ask her because, he complained, she was too politically weak to risk getting caught shilling."
Here are those pesky email exchanges:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/docs/abramoff-white-oak/?resultpage=1&
The Fitzgerald bloggers have already admitted to creating this blog to yuck it up during working hours. How many man hours have gone into the maintaining and the many hours of mindless drivel being written here?
Folks,
This is a politcal agenda for the Gerbil on the gay issue. I read this article on MSNBC:
"Though Bush himself has publicly embraced the amendment, he never seemed to care enough to press the matter. One of his old friends told NEWSWEEK that same-sex marriage barely registers on the president's moral radar. "I think it was purely political. I don't think he gives a s--t about it. He never talks about this stuff," said the friend, who requested anonymity to discuss his private conversations with Bush. White House aides, who also declined to be identified, insist that the president does care about banning gay marriage."
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13121953/site/newsweek/page/2/
Dumbya, that's right-for the first time in American (another first under Dubya) we have a president that wants to add discrimination into the Constitution.
Are we ever going to see some indictments of Rover and criminal friends or should we just give up on the whole "American system of Justice" thing? It works "sometimes?"
Enron case is great, but I am even more concerned about the state of the entire country. If it is never coming, let us know-so we can start packing for the border-though I am not sure which one;-)
Thanks for all the well wishes folks. The blueberries worked great. I was belly aching a little more than usual because I could not think of something to use as Troll repellant about work time fast enough and I was not in the mood, especially because I usually put in about 10 to 15 hours a week 'unpaid.' I know I put in more than that over the weekend alone. I try not to think about it. Now I thought of something, so here we go:
I know one area of taxpayer-funded government pretty well. Folks get a lunch and a couple of breaks during the day. E-mail, computer usage, and etc. are all considered government property. Old computers have their memories checked when new computers are purchased as replacements. Those computer folks are pretty efficient at watching that stuff and I heard of three people fired for using porno during taxpayer time. Anything with a computer can be traced and checked. Big Brother is completely watching.
That said, there are so many other arenas where money is wasted. I just about blew a gasket when I heard there were some folks who wanted a special fund set aside so that relatives of current employees could be hired. Wow, that is not even close to being equal opportunity employment!! Tonight on the NBC News there was a segment about taxpayer-paid Katrina clean up done by subcontractors of subcontractors of subcontractors of subcontractors of subcontractors starting at $23 per cubic yard of waste removed down the pyramid of subcontractors to $3 pcy by the folks actually doing the work. How about we pay $3 pcy at the start? Hel-lo!?
So much big-time fleece, so little time to bust them all those responsible . . .
All the CEOs in the private sector who make over $1 million a year (isn't that enough salary or are some of those clowns really work the $100 million per year?) cost all of us through higher prices for products and services, across the board.
I am sorry to hear about the little girl who would not talk to her daddy. Folks, she will be fine later. When she grows up and understands more, she will forgive her daddy. My father put in thousands of hours of church service when I was growing up and I certainly did forgive him for not being home. :-) It is people like him who help others, and make our country great.
Ignore this post unless you are a picky grammarian:
So much big-time fleece, so little time to bust them [take 'them' out]all those responsible . . .
All the CEOs in the private sector who make over $1 million a year (isn't that enough salary or are some of those clowns really work [worth] the $100 million per year?)
Folks, that is great that all of you are contacting your reps in Congress about the marriage thing! Remember to play nicely with the poor suckers answering the phones because before your calls, they probably dealt with dozens of people who were probably not so nice at all.
I guess there is no hope for the one group of Mormons who want polygny. There is no hope at all for legalized polyandry.
That should keep the Dictionary Person busy for a while. :-)
The League of SuperHeroes!
Anon at 6:44p
then, WTF are you doing here.
Be gone - be happy elsewhere you smug slime.
Anything Interesting going on in Fitzville tomorrow?
Show of hands, how many took a troll to lunch today, gave a troll a hug or had anything nice to say about a troll.
As a native Houstonian, thank you, thank you, thank you Fitz and Team for making this happen! Next up - take out the faux Texan/pResident and his henchmen!!! See - we're not all stupid here. Believe it or not, quite a few of us down here have hated the Shrub since he was running for GOVERNOR!!! Go FITZ!!!
Love a Troll, take a troll to lunch. Trolls have feelings too.
While W has all of distracted with the marriage thing, something important is going down in Iran and the US is not the main player. Here's hoping 666 Tuesday will be Hug Javier Solana and the European Union Day:
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10045073.html
Those folks probably have the best chance of negotiating a peaceful outcome, not GirlFriday.
Final Posting:
From Americablog:
"Ex"-gay group says Bush invited them to the White House
by John in DC - 6/05/2006 08:03:00 PM
"The anti-gay groups who claim they can "pray away the gay" (but always seem to have the same handful of spokesmen and no other proof of their "success") are now claiming that they attended today's White House ceremony announcing Bush's support (again) for the anti-gay constitutional amendment. Here's the press release on the group's Web site (and I am NOT going to link to these dangerous quacks):
Worldwide Network of Former Homosexuals to Take Part in White House Ceremony as Bush Endorses Marriage Protection Amendment
Ex-Gay Organization Says Protecting Marriage is Key to Preserving the Future
Dated: June 5th, 2006
Orlando, FL- Representatives from the world’s largest outreach to those affected by unwanted homosexuality will join other pro-family organizations as President Bush endorses a federal amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman in a White House ceremony today.
Then again, these guys also claim that they can cure gays with prayer and a bit of manly sports (I'm not kidding), so perhaps we should take this with a grain of salt."
Pray away the gays huh? That's like the smurf saying that he will pray away his indictments in the leak case... That ex-gay group invited by the Gerbil must have been taken Pat Robertson's protein product!
Good night! I came on late tonight. Very busy schedule this evening. Signing off!
SPB did I read that right the church can pray away gay. Has the world gone mad or what. I read Tony Snow is a little confused as to gay rights and civil rights. Now that's scary. Also the Supreme Court is ruling on seperation of the races. Didn't we rule on that with Brown vs The Board of Education or are we going backward. What will these guys think of next.
Now folks,
reading all your comments about the same sex marriage and how the promoter of such a law are basing their arguments on the bible please let me ask you
IS OR IS THE UNITED STATES NOT A SECULAR STATE?
Because to use such arguments are getting me confused as a county that bases their understanding of values and law on religeous arguments is not secular.
grandmanuk,
How is it possible than to change an existing law and replace it with something else based on religeous values? By any means it must be possible to topple that in front of any law?
Since when did they classify "Gay" as being a race or nationality? Being Gay is a sexual orientation. Should I be able to marry myself if I'm into self gratification or wed my goat if I'm into bestiality? How about equal rights for the "69" crowd? Why not allow someone to marry their daughter? Why??? Because those are sexual preferences that have been accepted as deviate forms of sexual activity.
Being Gay is a sexual preference and as such should be kept to the privacy of the participant’s bedroom, not treated on the same level as discrimination against a race or religion.
Why is it that it will only take one person to be offended by the display of a cross and the courts say that cross must be taken down while the majority of the country says that Gay marriage offends them and that majority is cast as a bunch of bigots? Can't a normal person see man on man or woman on woman sex as abnormal? I'm not a religious person but I can tell when something is against the nature of anything that is holy. I don't have to be religious to know that having sex with an animal, my daughter or another man is not and should not be acceptable behavior by a moral society.
top of the morning e it's great to be able to hear our saying in the morning. Hi Grandmanuk and Waterflake.
Well today should be another good day. So many crazy things are happening I look forward to what these guys will do next. I guess Fitz has them on the run because their making big mistakes. So many big problems yet they choose gay marriage when they can't handle their own marriage. What ever happen to Porter Goss it's like he disappeared. I love getting my bottom line up to the minute news reports from SPB. Fitz and staff have a good day bringing down the evil doers and I'll be back later today.
Another busy day of surfing the net and blogging for the Fitzgerald staff.
Jackie--I bet Porter Goss is busy meeting with divorce lawyers (speculation on my part).
Hey, I bet Cheney and Bush are not worried about yesterday's blood bath on Wall Street. The financial news guy on TV this morning wore a crash helmet. Here is what the Cheneys and Bushes have:
Money Central news link
The financial people are making the decisions, not insider knowledge that the dollar and economy are going to drop. Wasn't that the Martha defense?
;-)
For good news, yesterday a pool opened in a school in an economically disadvantaged area of Chicago after folks in the community worked together to find money to get it fixed. What a great opportunity for the kids!
We should all remember; THERE IS NO SEX IN HEAVEN!
How are those Rove indictments coming?
No target letters, no indictments and no news conferences. Another week of disappointment for the "red meat" Liberals.
Forty six million people in this country without healthcare and all Bush cares about is preventing gay's from marrying.
No new threads on this day of evil?
What next for the Liberals? Letting pet owners marry their dogs? Isn't it their right to marry whoever they want. Just because dogs marrying their masters seems perverted, who are we to judge?
I think it would be better if the trolls just took over this site. It might make more sense.
From the Note
The Fitzgerald investigation:
The Wall Street Journal ed board writes that Patrick Fitzgerald's case against indicted former VPOTUS aide Scooter Libby "is a lot weaker than his media spin."
WSJ? "A reliable newsource-not" Now I feel better...
Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening folks!
Happy Tuesday!
"SPB did I read that right the church can pray away gay." Yup, that what that particular church is saying.. If you believe that, then King Gerbil is magna cum laude in English at Oxford University!
I can se that there is a lot of discussion on the gay marriage. All I say is that the Gerbil is using that issue along as a diversion and political propaganda to get the struggling GOP in the office in the November elections. But, this is, again, showing you how the Gerbil is dividing this country! We have more bigger fish to fry on major issues in this country. The Gerbil Administration has turned this country into a 21th century "1984" because in that book that it exactly what Big Brother did to the oppressed state and that is invade the people's privacy and bedroom.. But, I think this country needs to refocus on what is in state of this country rather than listening to the Gerbil's new pet project of issues!!
Out of curiosity, I visited the Free Republic blog. Even though I consider myself "middle of the road" and sane, I like to get information from all sides when investigating the 'truth'.
I found it interesting that many of the conservatives, or "freepers", as I have heard them referred to, see eye to eye with our views of what is happening in this administration, and they are equally upset.
The upset is louder, of course, on the left, but there is dissent. And it is getting louder.
Those that follow Anne Coulter's line of rhetoric, are making themselves irrelevant.
People everywhere are tired of the misinformation, hate and bluster.
Those that wish to destroy the information outlets of folks, just because the information outlet does not preach hate, lies, or the "party line" (whichever party these trolls represent, because I believe these guys are a very small, insignificant, frightened group), need to wake up and realize the tide is changing.
We may have to sit through 2 more years of the idiot's in chief, and I pray they do not destroy any more of our way of life, as well as other cultures, but if they do, I believe the voices will get louder, faster.
and that's all I have to say about that.
Anonymous 11:59, it needs to be Hug a Freeper Week!
Rock on!
Folks,
More in the news:
Americablog is really hitting on the topic of marriage. Tehy have contacted certain senators and found that their own marriage status.. The Gerbil really opened up a big can of worms:
Is your member of Congress defending marriage?
The entire list of Senators and House members to contact is in our action alert, linked above (that list has been updated - Senate list is the same, House list has a few changes/corrections based on your feedback). But here are a few Senators you might want to particularly focus on today.
• Allen, George (R-VA) - - Divorced, and ever since he was governor has had a thing for hiring lots of cute young gay men.
• Bond, Christopher S. (R-MO) - - Divorced.
• Hutchison, Kay Bailey (R-TX) - - Divorced.
• McConnell, Mitch (R-KY) - - Divorced.
• Graham, Lindsay (R-SC) - - Unmarried and of ambiguous sexual orientation.
2. This Attorney General has guts!
Calif. Demands Answers On Oil Prices
State Atty. General Asks CEOs To Explain Prices & Profit Margins
"(CBS) California's Attorney General has begun hauling the CEOs of major oil companies into his office - demanding, in closed door sessions, that those executives tell him, under oath, why gas prices are higher in California than almost anywhere else in the nation.
"This is legal thievery in my view," California State Attorney General Bill Lockyer told CBS News correspondent Sandra Hughes. "It's because it's an oligopoly: it's when you have a handful of companies, seven exactly, that control almost the entire California market."
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/06/06/eveningnews/main1685231.shtml
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