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Article: Verdict Weakens Ignorance Defense; Former Executives Of Enron, HealthSouth Also Blame Underlings
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- March 16, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Former WorldCom Inc. chief executive Bernard J. Ebbers found out
Tuesday what it feels like to take the ultimate gamble and lose.
Facing a criminal case in which prosecutors had no documents
clearly linking him to the multibillion-dollar central fraud, Ebbers,
63, took the stand, admitted he had no clue about what was happening
in his own company and endured a humiliating cross-examination. On
Tuesday, 12 New Yorkers convicted him anyway.
As a result, the other corporate titans on trial and awaiting
trial for equally large financial crimes -- HealthSouth Corp.
founder Richard M. Scrushy and Enron Corp. leaders Kenneth L. Lay and
Jeffrey K. Skilling -- should be sleeping uneasily, ...