Informant38

a lot of lies, a lot of misinformation, and some truth
Enron Corp. founder Kenneth Lay testified Monday that the company's collapse has caused him more "enduring pain" than the loss of loved ones, and he again denied lying to investors about Enron's weak financial condition as it slid into bankruptcy.
[...]
As he took the witness stand in his own defense, Lay described as "ludicrous" a charge by federal prosecutors that he resumed his role as Enron chief executive officer in August 2001, six months after leaving the job, and immediately led a criminal conspiracy to commit fraud.
In a case in which conviction or acquittal could depend heavily on the impression Lay makes with jurors, he spoke fondly of his wife - coyly declining to tell her age to the jury - and talked of a deep moral conviction and religious faith.
"I've been very blessed throughout my life," he said.

CBS News
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Prior to his death last week[25.Jan.02], J. Clifford Baxter was for many a living embodiment of the American dream.
By the age of 43, he was a retired millionaire, with a mansion in an affluent suburb of Houston, a yacht and a young family.
His vast wealth had enabled him in May 2001 to leave behind a seemingly successful career at the energy giant Enron, where he was chief strategy officer and vice chairman.
Perhaps he would lived a life of moneyed leisure for years to come, had Enron not collapsed last December, dragging down the reputations of its top executives with it.
The ensuing controversy surrounding Enron's implosion appears to have turned Mr Baxter's charmed existence into a living nightmare.
After Enron's fall, Mr Baxter was named in a shareholder lawsuit, which alleged that 29 people had capitalised from selling Enron stock before the company collapsed.
Days before his suicide, he reportedly broke down in tears while talking on the telephone to former business associate about Enron.
He was also described by journalists that visited his home as dishevelled and unshaven.
Friends of Mr Baxter said he was depressed that he might have to testify about the role his colleagues had played in the collapse of Enron.
He was known as "ruthless" in the workplace, and even arrogant, and yet he seems to have suffered greatly from Enron's demise.
And the fact that he was named in a memo as one of the few executives who had in the past challenged Enron's questionable accounting practices adds to the mystery.

"Cliff Baxter complained mightily to Skilling and all who would listen about the inappropriateness of our transactions," wrote Sherron Watkins, another Enron employee.

BBCNews
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Sure, sometimes folks just up and die, but when powerful people die in a way that benefits other powerful people, it's worth asking a few questions. Apparently the police in Sugar Land, Texas (in the district of Enron bedmate Tom deLay) didn't see it that way at first. They were happy to send dead whistleblower Cliff right over to the funeral home as soon as possible, until somebody pointed out that he was about to testify before Congress about Enron and that he had spoken of the need to hire a bodyguard.

Mark Zepezauer
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The pain is overwhelming.