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kallend

Enron duplicity

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Answer....

The $550,025 that the Enron Corp. gave Bush over the years makes it his No. 1 career patron, according to the Center for Public Integrity. “Virtually every … aspect of Enron’s operations is overseen by the federal government,” a ’96 Dallas Morning News story noted. Not surprisingly, this global natural gas giant and its top executive are big political contributors who keep revolving doors whirling. Lay hired President Bush’s cabinet members James Baker and Robert Mosbacher as they left office. After President Bush’s ’93 Gulf War victory tour of Kuwait, Baker and other members of his entourage stayed on to hustle Enron contracts. The Clinton administration also threatened to cut Mozambique’s aid in ’95 if the world’s poorest country awarded a pipeline contract to a different company. Enron got Bush to contact Texas’ congressional delegation in ’97 to promote a corporate welfare program in which U.S. taxpayers finance political risk insurance for the foreign operations of corporations such as Enron. Enron plants around Houston—which surpassed LA for the title to the nation’s worst air—are “grandfathered” air polluters that exploit a loophole in state law to avoid installing modern pollution-control technologies. Earlier this year the Houston Astros inaugurated their new Enron Field, which was financed with $180 million in public tax dollars and $100 million from Enron. In return, Enron landed tax breaks and a $200 million contract to power the stadium. Topping Enron’s political wish list in Texas was deregulation of the state’s electrical markets. Bush signed this dream into law in ’99.

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Not to defend Lay, but the article had nothing that could be considered evidence against Lay. The tapes only are incriminating against the specific traders.

Lay isn't in jail because the prosecutors (obviously) feel that they don't have sufficient evidence to convict. While US Attorneys are appointed by the President, the day to day operations of all US Attorney offices are handled by career prosecutors who don't care about who's buddy they're after. The US Attorney would have to approve any prosecution of Lay, but you can count on alot of publicity if the US Attorney were to overrule the career prosecutor on any decision regarding Lay's prosecution. I'm sure Lay knew something about what was going on, but until the prosecutors can get the evidence they need, Lay stays a free man.

BTW, Alex Grass the former head of Rite Aid corporation was also a big contributor of Bush. He's now getting ready to serve 8 years in federal prison for his part in the Rite Aid accounting scandal. Politics gets you in the door. It doesn't keep you out of jail.

Edited cuz I wasn't done.


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Granted that prosecution warrants specific evidence. However, the buck doesn't stop until it reaches the top. There is clear evidence of systematic wrongdoing within the corporation.
...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

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Listened to some of these phone call recordings on the radio this morning. Pretty inciminating stuff. How come Lay isn't in jail?

www.snopud.com/?page=107&17_article=234



Lay will get his day. Remember also though that the prices were also a result of then Governor Davis' inability to negotiate an agreement while PG&E was going bankrupt.
So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

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Let's see - David Delainey pled guilty to insider trading....Lea Fastow goes to trial in June....last I heard Andrew Fastow was in plea negotiations...there is another trial beginning in June involving two Enron employees (I don't remember there names)....seems like a decent beginning.....

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