Enron's Ken Lay may be tough to prosecute

[onehandle]

Feb. 20, 2004  |  HOUSTON (AP) -- While the government has had the former top two executives at Enron Corp. in their crosshairs for more than two years, only former chief executive Jeffrey Skilling was in handcuffs this week.

Experts said the indictment and comments by prosecutors suggest any case against former chairman and CEO Kenneth Lay, known as a less hands-on manager than his former protege, likely would be more difficult to prove.

Whether prosecutors will take the last step up the fallen company's ladder to charge Lay remains to be seen.

But comments by the head of the Justice Department's Enron Task Force shortly after Skilling's indictment Thursday on 35 criminal charges seemed to suggest that the government considers Skilling the bigger catch.

"This was THE guy at Enron," said Deputy Attorney General James Comey.

http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2004/02/20/enron/index.html

Looks like Kenny-Boy gets off scot free. Smirk too.

[pscot]

1. Unless Skilling cuts a deal

to avoid going away for life.

[librechik]

9. I suspect he didn't, otherwise the charges would be different

and the pleas wouldn't have been given as innocent--the plea would then have been some variety of guilty but immunity given. He must be going whole hog on this one and daring the prosecutor to prove it. It's been his stance all along, claiming total innocence.

Boys and girls, take my advice: if you are ever taken away by The Man, that should always be your stance no matter what. And don't say another word after "get me a lawyer. "

Yes, that is what I would do too, if I were him, even if I was dead guilty and everybody knew it. Of course, only a monster would do what he did (aherm, if guilty) so I hope they put the f*er away for life.

[arcane1]

2. "known as a less hands-on manager"

in other words, he collects all the money and does no real work. It's the 'Murican way!

[librechik]

10. Just a figurehead puppet, Like the Smurf.

two of a kind...

[Torrey Pines]

3. Hard to prosecute?

As I recall, Kenny Boy was still in the process of selling tens of millions of dollars of his own Enron stock when, in August of 2001, he sent an email to employees suggesting that they buy more. The fact that this guy is still running free is a complete outrage!

[Fovea]

15. You are one hundred percent correct.

And damn, isn't he even on tape flogging the dying stock to employees?

[movonne]

4. When it is a friend of bush the law has no limits.

[Zeke]

5. Oh, Come On...

What prosecutor would zealously go after someone they Bush will pardon?

[boobooday]

6. Bush is protecting Kenny Boy

He's a close personal friend.

Skilling must take the fall.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[dfong63]

7. a fish rots from the head

[leesa]

8. Well, duh! Most US judges appear to be on the take...why would anyone

expect justice in the US???

[bushwakker]

11. This one will wait 'til after the election

[mac2]

12. Hard to find guilty especially since he's a Bush friend.

The guy is guilty as heck. His pockets run over with the bounty of the employees and pension holders.

[saigon68]

13. Lay will never do 1 day in jail

He is a key player in the Bush family crime empire.

[gulliver]

14. Kenny Boy was out of the loop, I guess.

Lately Bush has actually had the gall to blame "corporate scandals" for some of the jobs lost under his administration. The biggest scandal of them all was Enron.

Like AWOL, I don't think we have heard the last of Enron.