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Enron Conviction Falls
No, it’s not Jeffrey Skilling, that would merit major headlines. The convictions of Kevin Howard, the former CFO of the Enron Broadband unit, were overturned by U.S. District Court Judge Vanessa Gilmore (opinion available below). A jury convicted Howard in May, 2005, just a few days after the verdict in the Lay/Skilling trial in the…
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A “Just in Case You’re Indicted” Clause in Bonds’ Contract
The new contract Barry Bonds agreed to with the San Francisco Giants that will pay him $15+ million has an unusual clause allowing the team to void the contract if he is indicted for perjury in the ongoing Balco (Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative) steroids investigation. Some baseball contracts permit a team to back out if…
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The Devil Is in the Details at Libby’s Trial
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald opened the prosecution’s case-in-chief with five high-level government witnesses, including former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer, who each testified to having given I. Lewis Libby at least some information about Valerie Plame’s role as a CIA operative. The trial has now switched to the media witnesses, beginning with New York Times…
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Nine Year Sentence for Corruption in Iraqi Rebuilding Effort
A former finance official for the Coalition Provisional Authority in southern Iraq received a nine-year sentence on corruption, money laundering, and weapons charges. Robert Stein worked for the CPA in administering the rebuilding effort, and engaged in a wide-ranging corruption scheme to award contracts to favored companies. According to a Department of Justice press release…
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Ari Fleischer Testifies in Libby Trial
Testifying under a grant of immunity, Ari Fleischer disclosed to jurors in the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby case that he had in fact been told about CIA Valerie Plame’s undercover status by the accused. (see Washington Post and New York Times). Because he is testifying under a grant of immunity, his testimony cannot be used…
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Government Files Brief in Ryan Case
While Patrick J. Fitzgerald is busy prosecuting I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, his office back home in Chicago filed its brief in the case U.S. v Ryan. Former Governor Ryan had been convicted of fraud and other charges (see here). The brief responds to defense claims including arguments that "[t]he district court properly dismissed two jurors…
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Jencks Act Statements & Libby Trial
The TalkLeft Blog discusses whether Libby’s attorneys have all statements by Karl Rove, noting that: "Fitz has taken the position since day 1 that he’s not obligated to turn over statements of defense witnesses, only those of witnesses he intends to call. (That wouldn’t be acceptable in my federal District, which has a more open…
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Army Begins Fraud Investigations
DOJ may be a step behind the Army as this military branch begins its own fraud investigations. (see Washington Post AP here). But with the opening of fifty (50) investigations of contractors one has to wonder if this action is a bit late. Was there no adequate compliance program in place to make certain that…
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Environmental Crime Sentencing
The sentences for two individuals who plead guilty to a 3 count indictment that related to polluting navigable waters were: 1) 5 months in prison and 2 months supervised release and 2) 3 years probation. Both individuals had restrictions placed upon them to preclude them from polluting U.S. waters. According to the DOJ press release,…
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The Constitutionality of a U.S. Attorney Appointment?
Is the appointment of Tim Griffin, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, unconstitutional? In a rare motion, Attorney John Wesley Hall questions this appointment and asks the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas to find it unconstitutional. The basis is that the appointment was never submitted to the Senate…
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