Crimes of Others Wrecked Enron, Ex-Chief Says

[PfcHammer]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/27/business/27ENRO.final.html?pagewanted=print&position=

June 27, 2004
Crimes of Others Wrecked Enron, Ex-Chief Says
By KURT EICHENWALD

HOUSTON, June 22 - There was a time when Kenneth L. Lay's close relationship with President Bush brought him power and influence in Washington that was virtually unparalleled among his colleagues in corporate America.

Now, Mr. Lay, the former chairman and chief executive of Enron, fears those ties may only serve to bring him criminal charges.

``If anything, being friends with the Bush family, including the President, has made my situation more difficult,'' Mr. Lay said in a recent interview, ``because it's probably a tougher decision not to indict me than to indict me.'' For more than two years, he has been the nation's silent pariah.

Now, on the eve of what may be the government's final decision on whether to charge him with a crime, Mr. Lay is talking for the first time about the company's collapse in 2001 and the scandal that enveloped it. In more than six hours of interviews with The New York Times, Mr. Lay remained steadfast in his expressions of innocence, even as he acknowledged, as head of the company, accountability for the debacle rests rightfully with him. ``I take full responsibility for what happened at Enron,'' said Mr. Lay, 62. ``But saying that, I know in my mind that I did nothing criminal.''

[Fenris]

1. Psychiatrists call that "delusional"

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Perhaps psychiatrists do.

Psychologists call it psychopathic.

[Rebellious Republican]

2. He takes full responsiblity and and a full pardon ......

Absolutely, you bet he takes full responsiblity, he knows that Georgie boy has to indict him for the public opinion polls. But whats to worry about he also knows Georgie Boy is going to give him a full pardon on his way out of the White House.

[acmavm]

3. Yeah, right. I remember an interview with that arrogant fool (changed

that word) and he was standing outside one of the private jets that Enron money bought. I vaguely remember what he said, it was about kids and getting a good education and maybe some day they could fly around in the same luxury he did. But it wasn't so much what he said as HOW he said it. Smarmy, arrogant, obnoxious.

And what about his big stock dump at the same time he was telling Enron employees to invest, invest, invest. At the very minimum he's guilty of insider trading. But like millions of others, I know he's guilty of so much more. Proving it will be another story.

[ecoalex]

4. Da Nile Ain't just a river baby

[Rose Siding]

5. It was just a few bad apples

tsk tsk

[TahitiNut]

7. Them bad apples sure do get around.

:puke:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

6. Lord, cry me a river!

[Gman]

8. Don't forget the PR consultant they hired for his wife

before she went on the Today Show whining about losing everything. I'm sure the same PR firm is telling Lay what to say now. Its all staged.

Need to ask Lay what he thinks now about sticking it up granny's a*& in CA.

In Japan a CEO of Lay's capacity would have already committed suicide.

[DemoTex]

9. Sounds just like Ken. Remember, I used to work for him.

I flew Learjets and JetStars for Kenny-boy in the pre-Enron days. I know the huckster well. And all his pals including half of the Bu$h-1 cabinet and Junior Bu$h himself. Ken Lay really thought he was royalty (his dad was a fundy preacher and nurseryman in Columbia, Mo.).

We flew Ken and the former Mrs. Lay to Pennsylvania where she was committed to a funny-farm. Within weeks Kenny-boy married the winsome Linda (Lay-Lady-Lay), his former employee at Florida Gas.

Linda (Lay-Lady-Lay) is the one who went on the "Today Show" whining and weeping about their having to sell several mansions in the Aspen area.