Ex-Enron chief Ken Lay to face two criminal trials

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/2856084

Ex-Enron Chairman Ken Lay is now scheduled to face two separate criminal trials - one with ex-Chief Executive Jeff Skilling and former top accountant Rick Causey and another by himself.

U.S. District Judge Sim Lake Tuesday refused to separate Lay, Skilling and Causey into three discrete trials as they had requested.

But Lake did find that Lay's four criminal charges relating to his personal banking should be tried separately from the Enron -related charges against the three former executives.

"This is Ken Lay's worst nightmare. The government gets two bites at the apple," said Jacob Frenkel , a Washington, D.C.-based former federal prosecutor and Securities and Exchange Commission lawyer who has been following the case.

[LoverOfLiberty]

1. Mark my word

If Bush prevails in stealing this election, there will be no trial for Lay.

If Bush loses, he will pardon Lay.

Take that to the bank.

[RamboLiberal]

2. Be interesting to see all the criminal buddies he pardons

on his way out the WH door in January!

[Zensea]

3. Lay might get pardoned but there will be a trial

unless he gets pardoned before a trial.
I'll bet you on that.

Not all bankruptcy lawyers or prosecuting attorneys are Republicans. and even if they are RepublicansSome of them are cool.
Not all are sold to the highest bidder either.
Some of them have consciences.

Trust me on that. I know because of my line of work.

They're going to make Fastow squeal like a pig and they're going after Lay big time.

Read the indictment before you bet.
Here it is --
http://www.chron.com/content/news/photos/04/07/08/layindict.pdf

here's more
http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/special/01/enron/

[indigobusiness]

4. He can't pardon an innocent man

and Lay is PRESUMED innocent until proven guilty.

If Bush loses, Lay is toast.

If Bush wins and pardons Lay, Bush is toast.

[RamboLiberal]

6. Poppy pardoned Weinberger before trial

President Bush December 24 granted pardons to former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger and five other individuals for their conduct related to the Iran-Contra affair.

Bush said Weinberger -- who had been scheduled to go on trial in Washington January 5 on charges related to Iran-Contra -- was a "true American patriot," who had served with "distinction" in a series of public positions since the late 1960s.

"I am pardoning him not just out of compassion or to spare a 75-year-old patriot the torment of lengthy and costly legal proceedings, but to make it possible for him to receive the honor he deserves for his extraordinary service to our country," Bush said in a proclamation granting executive clemency.

The president also pardoned five other persons who already had pleaded guilty or had been indicted or convicted in connection with the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages investigation. They were Elliott Abrams, a former assistant secretary of state for Inter-American affairs; former National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane; and Duane Clarridge, Alan Fiers, and Clair George, all former employees of the Central Intelligence Agency.

http://www.fas.org/news/iran/1992/921224-260039.htm

Couldn't Dumbya pardon Lay before these trials or even in midst of?

[indigobusiness]

8. Good point. Perhaps he could.

We can only hope GW has as much success in his second campaign as GHW did.

The Weinberger pardon was a stain on this country that spreads to this day.

Contra fiasco was a senseless bloodbath. Fucking monsters.

[wicket]

13. Caspar Weinberger

I was completely disgusted by the pardoning of Caspar Weinberger by Poppy. So f'n corrupt!!! :grr: Also, all of the hoopla over Clinton pardoning Mark Rich was such a joke in comparison. Where was the outrage over the pardoning of Weinberger??? Grrrr....

[madmom]

12. Kenny boy...

had/has many in Washington in his pocket including Dems.It's the system.If anybody is toast it's average middle class America unless we change the money talks all else walks lobbies that are in control.Work hard the next two weeks for JFK and the next two years for an overwhelming Dem.control of Congress.

[indigobusiness]

16. Well, yeah...that's a given...

don't think Humpty Dumpty can be put back together. Look at the resources it took to build? They are mostly used up.

Big change soon come.

[President Jesus]

5. Ken Lay's detailed history of campaign contributions

http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=TX&last=Lay&first=Kenneth

[kostya]

7. This reminds me. Next time some idiot says Bush should be

re-elected because he made the mess and he should clean it up, ask them if they think Kenny Boy should still be the head of Enron. - K

[tom_paine]

9. Good, if belated news anyway

[Born_A_Truman]

10. Oil for food vs Ken Lay

Let's see.

The Bush administration just got the report back about Iraq's WMD's, or rather lack of WMD's, and when they saw the info on the Oil for Food, they wanted indictments before the election if possible.

How long ago did Enron implode?

[gatlingforme]

11. Ken Lay is still in the US? I thought he would be off to Costa Rica

[Bridget Burke]

14. "For Ken Lay, His 'Worst Nightmare'"

That's the headline on the Houston Chronicle this morning. (The online version of the story has the less inflammatory headline.)

The story would be even bigger, but there's some baseball game coming up this afternoon....

[leesa]

15. Excellent! He wanted to be tried quickly and on the buddy system and

for once, he didn't get what he wanted.