Sins of the Father

Ken Lay has died "from what appears to have been a heart attack."

Lay's death will complicate the government's bid to recover any ill-gotten gains, said David Irwin, a former federal prosecutor who is now a white-collar defense attorney in Towson, Maryland. Lay testified at trial that he was broke, Irwin said. The government has said that it believes he still had more than $40 million left.

"Prior to his death, the government could just say: 'Hand over $40 million,'" Irwin said. "Prosecutors are now going to have to show that individual assets they want to seize were bought with funds illegally received from Enron. It's going to be a lot more work for them now."

How convenient for his family that his estate is now effectively protected. I don't think it's necessary to spell it out, but there is a method for inducing a heart attack which is untraceable in an autopsy. Or maybe the stress just caught up with him.

Either way, it doesn't matter; the former Enron employees are still getting the Ol' Rear-Orifice Roto-Rooter. Again. I'm only upset he didn't live long enough to suffer the indignity of being tossed unceremoniously into a federal pen. Otherwise, good riddance to bad rubbish.