Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling has another appeal set for April 2, 2008, and I, for one, hope they let him out this time. Go Jeff! This new appeal just might work – based on an argument used in earlier Enron cases that employees didn’t deprive Enron of their honest services based on the fact that their actions were in line with Enron’s corporate goals, Skilling has an actual chance to beat the rap on this one, especially since he didn’t benefit personally from any of Andy Fastow’s ill-conceived financing schemes. Was he an asshole? Yeah. Did he get extremely rich? Yeah. But does he deserve 24 years in prison? Fuck no. In fact, there was little to no evidence that Skilling was ever informed by any whistleblower or otherwise that Fastow had special-purpose-entitied the company right into the crapper. The Enron board itself, let alone Skilling, had no earthly idea that Fastow himself had walked away with some 60-odd million in ill-gotten personal gains, right underneath their noses. Shit, there are people who have committed murder who haven’t gotten 24 years! Skilling was a scapegoat, plain and simple. Enron is bad so someone’s got to take the fall. Not Fastow, the weasel who was responsbile for all this crap who turned state’s evidence and plea bargained for only six – it had to be Skilling, the former CEO who had left his post long before the fall. 24 years?! Are you fucking kidding me?! Let Jeff go, federal judges in Louisiana!
Update 8/27/08: Four months later and STILL no verdict yet. Damn. How long is it gonna take?!
