Orange Jumpsuits

So the Messrs. Skilling and Lay got busted. This is a great day. Apparently after six days of thinking it over, the jury decided the Enron boys were just lying out their asses. Good job, jury. What was the part that tipped it for you? The part where they lied or the part where they lied about lying?

Here are my two favorite parts of the whole thing:

Mr. Lay is an alumnus of the University of Missouri, and like many philanthropists, gave them a big chunk of money, but didn't want a lot of fanfare. As things started going south for Enron, he then wanted his name on the gift. Then he wanted the money back, but only so he could give it to charitable Katrina-related purposes close to the jury, I mean home. Then he said he needed it back for legal fees. Mizzou isn't giving it back, although it's questionable whether his name will be honored on a building.

I did fundraising work for 10 years and here's what I can share right off the bat: It's a gift you make because you believe in the mission of the institution. It's not a savings account, to be skimmed from when you're a little light.

My other favorite part was that futures traders were actively betting on whether Skilling and Lay would be convicted. When Skilling's lawyer Dan Petrocelli got wind of that, he said, "It is god-awful [that] people are betting on peoples' lives."

Yes, sir, it certainly was. Oh, oh, you mean the traders. I see now.


Sources:
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/14643441.htm
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/illinoisstatenews/story/21A19122F45E0B19862571770011CF79?OpenDocument