VP Cheney sued for corporate misconduct

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Cheney being sued for corporate misconduct PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY
AM Archive - Thursday, 11 July , 2002 00:00:00
Reporter: Leigh Sales
LINDA MOTTRAM: Just one day after President George W. Bush failed to convince the markets with his plan to tackle the epidemic of corporate fraud in America, another big firm is under a cloud.

Telecoms company, Qwest, has said that its the subject of an unspecified criminal investigation and the Bush administration's own credibility on the issue of good corporate governance faces a test on another front.

Vice President, **** Cheney, is being sued for alleged corporate misconduct relating to Mr Cheney's term in the 1990s as head of the enormous oil services company, Halliburton.

From Washington, our Correspondent Leigh Sales reports.

LEIGH SALES: Judicial Watch, a non-profit legal and ethics organisation, is mounting the civil case claiming Vice President Cheney was a direct participant, aider, abetter and co-conspirator in fraudulent acts, omissions and schemes.

Judicial Watch General Counsel, Larry Klayman.

LARRY KLAYMAN: We will learn things about what Vice President Cheney did as CEO of Halliburton. This is not a personal vendetta against Vice President Cheney. This is the very same thing we did with regard to the Clinton administration. We're just trying to hold high public officials accountable under the rule of law.

LEIGH SALES: The suit claims that Halliburton deceived investors by using practices to artificially prop up its share price. One way it allegedly did that was by including bills in its listed income, even though the money hadn't yet been paid to the company.

White House Spokesman, Ari Fleischer, denies any wrongdoing on the part of the Vice President and former company CEO.

The timing of the legal action is unfortunate for the White House trying to distance itself from the quagmire of corruption engulfing big business in America. While the President's crackdown on corporate crime announced yesterday was aimed at positioning the White House above the scandal, it's instead had the effect of making the members of the Bush Administration ready targets.

Judicial Watch's Larry Klayman says even the President's own share dealings in the early '90s might end up in court even though they've been investigated once already.

LARRY KLAYMAN: If George W. Bush is shown to have colourably done anything wrong and if we can claim that the statute of limitations has not closed, then Judicial Watch will be taking action on that score as well.

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LEIGH SALES: In a double whammy for the White House, it's also emerged today that Vice President Cheney took part in a promotional video for disgraced accounting company, Andersen.

**** CHENEY: I get good advice, if you will, from their people based upon how we're doing business and how we're operating, over and above just the normal by the books auditing arrangement.

LEIGH SALES: While that wasn't illegal, it's done nothing for a White House trying to convey disapproval of corporate wrongdoing.



EX's note: Amazing. Our wonderful and ethical VP at work again. Do you know what VP Cheney's total experience in the oil industry was prior to taking the reins of Halliburton? None. His only qualifications for the job were his previous experience as National Security Advisor and Secretary of Defense. Both agencies used and continual to use Halliburton's expertise in the Oil Industry to the tune of well over a billion a year.