Ex-CEO Lay Will Testify in Enron Trial

[FVZA_Colonel]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060423/ap_on_bi_ge/enron_trial_1



Ex-CEO Lay Will Testify in Enron Trial
By KRISTEN HAYS, AP Business Writer

HOUSTON - Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay has embraced myriad roles in his life: economist, business visionary, Houston booster, philanthropist and smooth political gladhander among them. On Monday, he'll become his most important witness.

"I'm looking forward to it," the 64-year-old ex-chairman said last week with the same confident smile he has displayed since his fraud and conspiracy trial began nearly three months ago. "I want to put more of the facts and the truth out about what happened at Enron."

For the last two weeks, the trial's focus rested on often contentious testimony from Jeffrey Skilling, Lay's co-defendant and brief successor as chief executive. The pair has presented a unified defense from the start, so Lay aims to build on what Skilling already told jurors: Enron was no bed of fraud and both are innocent of any wrongdoing.

The government contends the men lied repeatedly to investors and employees about Enron's financial health when they allegedly knew serious turmoil simmered beneath their ebullient optimism. Enron spiraled into bankruptcy protection in December 2001 six weeks after revelations of massive losses heightened scrutiny, leaving thousands jobless and wiping out billions from investors.

[DoYouEverWonder]

1. Ken Who?

Oh, Kenny Boy.

It's about time these liars get their day in court.

[WhiteTara]

2. After the trouncing the DA gave Skilling

I can hardly wait for next week's expisode
:popcorn:

[chelsea0011]

3. He's looking forward to setting the record straight

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

4. Big egos sometimes cause big mistakes.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

5. "...business visionary..."

:rofl:

[elehhhhna]

6. LOL. Business mirage-inary

[badgervan]

7. Poor Kenny Boy

Nothing is ever these guy's fault - the arrogance is just astounding. When is the last time one of these greedy a-holes actually apologized, and said they were truly sorry? And if they are sorry, they're only sorry that they got caught!

[savemefromdumbya]

8. Bush will get even paler when Lay testifies

They were very friendly Lay and Bush

[bluestateguy]

9. Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling deserve the death penalty

I stand by my convictions.

Nothing anybody says will change my mind.

They should go to the gas chamber.

[Ecumenist]

10. AMEN . Bluestateguy.

[Robbien]

11. Ken Lay says, not fraud but just misdirected power of positive thinking

The WaPo has an article out on this. They are painting a picture of Lay as a guy who pulled himself up by his bootstraps. WaPo says Lay is such a positive guy. That he wasn't corrupt but that he really really thought he was doing good.

WaPo piece of garbage here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/23/AR2006042300725.html

[DemoTex]

12. My former boss-man, Ken Lay.

Old DUers know the story. I worked for Ken Lay at a Houston-based energy company before he left for Houston Natural Gas (which he quickly merged with Omaha's InterNorth to form Enron in the mid-1980s), and before I left for the airlines. I flew Kenny-boy and his friends and family around in Learjet 55s and Lockheed JetStars. I flew them all over the US and western Europe (in the four-motored JetStar).
I have told many anecdotes about Ken and Linda Lay (and their friends like George W.) on this board in the past. The pre-Baxter past.
I think Ken Lay will choke on the stand (trying to defend the indefensible). I think he will be convicted. I think he will be pardoned by Bu$h (after all, he made Bu$h GovTex and POTUS).
No one will be watching Ken Lay as closely as I will this week. Popcorn?

:popcorn:

What I flew for Kenny-boy:
JetStar II






Learjet 55