Firm with ties to Cheney's task force faces criminal indictment

[JoFerret]

http://www.counterpunch.org/leopold03222004.html

<<The company at the center of the probe is Houston-based Reliant Resources, Inc.

Reliant said in a news release March 8 that it was notified by the US Attorney's office about the pending indictment, which stems from allegations that the company deliberately shut down its power plants in California for a few days in June 2000, creating an artificial shortage and causing wholesale prices to skyrocket. >>
<more>

[bkcc]

1. wait.

Do you mean that someone associated with Dick Cheney might be crooked?!?
NO WAY!

;)

[tabasco]

6. Really, unbelievable!

Cheney is a man of unquestioned integrity. He instilled Haliburton with his sense of ethics. Now he has helped bring that same level of integrity to the White House.

[havocmom]

2. And they dare be offended at being called crooks & liars

At least they are consistent in their irresponsible behavior as they plunder the US and drive a stake in the heart of representative democracy with their secrecy.

[UpInArms]

3. I believe that James A Baker III was either

Chairman of the Board or on the Board of Directors of Reliant (formerly Houston Industries) in 2000.

edited to add links:

http://www.citizen.org/congress/campaign/special_interest/articles.cfm?ID=6539

Three of the companies Enron, Reliant Energy and Dynegy are based in Texas and gave more than $1.5 million to Bush s campaign, his inauguration committee, and the Republican National Committee, which served, in effect, as an arm of the Bush presidential campaign. Two companies Enron and Reliant Energy are headed or steered by Kenneth Lay and James Baker III, both close Bush advisors.

http://www.law.com/special/professionals/nlj/nlj_clientlist101-150.html

Reliant Energy Inc.
Houston
International
energy company
Hugh Rice Kelly, executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary
37
James A. Baker III (Baker & Botts L.L.P., Houston) designated as on the Board of Directors
Baker & Botts L.L.P., Houston; Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody P.C., Austin, Texas; Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P., Houston; Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue, various offices

http://216.239.39.104/search?q=cache:zlIO4VgW43gJ:www.centerpointenergy.com/files/awilson102458_2002_Proxy.pdf+%22James+a+baker%22+III+reliant+energy+board+of+directors+2000&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Information About Directors

Reliant Energy’s Board of Directors is divided into three classes having staggered terms of three years each.

The term of office of the directors in Class III expires at this year’s meeting. The terms of office of the Class I and Class II directors will expire in 2003 and 2004, respectively. At each annual meeting of shareholders, directors are elected to succeed the class of directors whose term has expired.

The Board’s nominee for Class III director is O. Holcombe Crosswell, who is a current director of Reliant Energy. Current Class III directors James A. Baker, III and Richard E. Balzhiser will retire from the Board at the annual meeting at the expiration of their current terms. Effective at the annual meeting, the number of directors will be set at seven. Current director Laree E. Perez is expected to resign from the Board of CenterPoint

Energy at the time of the distribution by CenterPoint Energy of its remaining shares of Reliant Resources. If the nominee becomes unavailable for election, the Board of Directors can name a substitute nominee and proxies will be voted for such substitute nominee pursuant to discretionary authority, unless withheld.

http://www.edgar-online.com/bin/edgardoc/finSys_main.asp?dcn=0000950109-02-001187

James A. Baker, III, 71

Senior Partner of Baker Botts LLP since March 1993 and a Senior Counselor of The Carlyle Group, a merchant banking firm, since 1993. Mr. Baker served as Senior Counselor to the President of the United States and White House Chief of Staff from August 1992 to January 1993, as Secretary of State from January 1989 to August 1992, as Secretary of the Treasury from 1985 to 1988, and as White House Chief of Staff from 1981 to 1985. He is a director of Reliant Energy Inc., Reliant Resources, Inc., Rice University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Mr. Baker has been a director of EDS since 1996.

[TahitiNut]

7. Junior was on the payroll of Baker-Botts summers during his Yale days.

Yup. Cozy little do-nothing gofer job. Better than working or learning something, I guess. :shrug:

[mbperrin]

4. What? Cheney consorting with CROOKS? I'm

shocked, shocked, I tell you!

[yardwork]

5. California's Revenge Begins

[Mountainman]

8. Maybe Arnold will go after them now for the money they stole

[TacticalPeek]

9. Arnold? I'd bet he will send them taxpayer money, to tide them over.

Schwarzenegger, Riordan, Milken, and Kenny Boy all cooked this price gouge up with the greedy acquiescence of Unka Dick and his ward, the Boy Emperor.

http://www.counterpunch.org/leopold08182003.html

Of course, I'm sure you already knew that, and it will only be two or three years before the main stream media discover it.


:grr:

[Manix]

10. Only when Cheney is frog-marched out in handcuffs will justice start.

[truthspeaker]

11. kick!

I still remember during the shortage how offended the energy executives acted when it was suggested they might have artificially created it to inflate prices.

In my opinion Gray Davis took the fall for the shortage and high prices.