(January 2nd, 2002 -- 11:42 AM EST // link)
Wondering how many Bush administration (Senate-confirmed) appointees owned stock in Enron? Or how much they owned? Or what business relationships they had with the company? Well, hey, you came to the right place!
Now it's important to keep in mind that most of these folks listed below just owned stock in the company, which probably only means they got suckered and cleaned out by the company brass like a lot of other people.
But then if some of them cashed in their stock a few months ago (which next year's disclosures will tell us) based on inside information ... well, that would be another matter entirely.
Appointee: Kathleen B. Cooper Title: Undersec. for Economic Affairs Department: Commerce Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,001 Appointee: Thomas C. Dorr Title: Under Sec. for Rural Development Department: USDA Relationship: (1) Enron stock $1,001-$15,001 (MG Dorr IFT), (2) Enron stock $1,001-$15,001 (Roth IRA)
Appointee: Emil H. Frankel Title: Asst. Sec. for Transportation Policy Department: Transportation Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: Eugene Hickok Jr. Title: Undersecretary Department: Education Relationship: (1) Spouse Katherine Hickok Rev. Trust: Enron stock $15,001-$50,000 value, $5,001-$15,000 dividends/capital gains; (2) Son Adam Eugene Hickok Trust: Enron stock $15,000-$50,000 value, $5,001-$15,000 dividends/capital gains; (3) Daughter Katherine C. Hickok Trust: Enron stock $15,001-$50,000 value, $5,001-$15,000 dividends/capital gains.
Appointee: Allen F. Johnson Title: Chief Agriculture Negotiator Department: US Trade Rep. Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: John H. Marburger Title: Director Department: Office of Science and Technology Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000 value, $201-$1,000 dividends
Appointee: Alice H. Martin Title: US Attorney, Northern District of Alabama Department: Justice Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: Sandra L. Pack Title: Asst. Secretary Department: Army Relationship: Enron stock less than $1,001 value, $5,001-$15,000 capital gains.
Appointee: Robert Zoellick Title: US Trade Rep. Department: USTR Relationship: Enron stock $15,001-$50,000, Enron advisory fees $50,000
Appointee: Hansford T. Johnson Title: Asst. Sec. Department: Navy Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: Donald H. Rumsfeld Title: Secretary Department: Defense Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: John E. Robson Title: Chairman/President Department: Export Import Bank Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: Thomas Scully Title: Administrator Department: HCFA Relationship: Enron stock $15,001-$50,000
Appointee: Martin J. Silverstein Title: Ambassador to Uruguay Department: State Relationship: Enron stock $15,001-$50,000
Appointee: William Winkenwerder Title: Asst. Sec. Department: Defense Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: Thomas E. White Title: Secretary of the Army Department: Defense Relationship: Former Vice-Chairman of Enron Energy Service; Enron Corp-common stock worth $25,000,001-50,000,000 that paid over $5,000,000 in dividends and capital gains; Enron Corp-stock options worth $25,000,001-50,000,000 that paid $100,001-1,000,000 in capital gains; Enron Corp Cash Balance Retirement Acct (Enron Stock will rollover into permissible property) worth $100,001-250,000 that paid less than $201 in dividends; Enron Corp-DLJ Private Equity Partners Fund II that paid $5,516,131.08 in salary; Enron Employee Stock Ownership Plan, Defined Contribution Plan Managed by Enron worth $1,000,001-5,000,000 that paid less than $201 dividends; Enron Phantom Stock Award worth $5,000,000-25,000,000 that paid less than $201 dividends; Enron Retirement Account (Enron Stock) worth less than $1,001 that paid less than $201 dividends; Agreements: Pursuant to provisions of employment agreement and routine practice of Enron Corp, given $1,000,000 in severance pay; The Phantom Stock Award in Enron (approximately 240,000 shares) were accelerated and paid out when he left Enron
Appointee: Mark Weinberger Title: Assistant Secretary (Tax Policy) Department: Treasury Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000 value, $201-1,000 dividends
Appointee: Vicky A. Bailey Title: Assistant Secretary, International Affairs & Domestic Policy Department: State Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: Alexander Vershbow Title: Ambassador to Russia Department: State Relationship: Enron stock $50,001-$100,000 value, $201-1,000 dividends
Appointee: Marcelle M. Wahba Title: Ambassador to the UAE Department: State Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: Steven M. Colloton Title: US Attorney (S.D. Iowa) Department: Justice
Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000 Appointee: Richard J. Egan Title: Ambassador to Ireland Department: State Relationship: Enron Partial Sale Value: $250,000-500,000 Dividends: $5,001-15,000 Capital Gains: $100,001-1,000,000
Enron Corporation (SOLD) Value: Less than $1,001 Dividends: $201-1,000
Egan's spouse: The following is owned through his wife's Lawhill Capital fund for the year 2000:
Enron Gas & Oil 15,679 US G/L
Enron Corp. Lost 12,429 US G/L
Appointee: Donald W. Washington Title: US Attorney (W.D. Louisiana) Department: Justice Relationship: Enron stock $1,001-$15,000
Appointee: John Prince Title: Ambassador to Mauritius, Comoros, Seychelles Department: State Relationship: Enron stock through four direct/indirect sources: (1) less than $1,000; (2) $15,001-$50,000; (3) $1,001-$15,000; (4) $15,001-$50,000.
Appointee: William Schubert Title: Administrator, Maritime Administration Department: Transportation Relationship: Project Consulting Services for Enron, paid over $5,000
Appointee: Bruce Carnes Title: CFO Department: US Dept of Energy Relationship: Enron Stock $1,000 - $15,000
Appointee: John S. Wolf Title: Assistant Secretary for Nonproliferation Department: Dept of State Relationship: Enron Stock $50,000 - $100,000
Appointee: Linnet Deily Title: Deputy Department: Office of the Trade Representative Relationship: Enron Stock $15,000 - $50,000
Appointee: Nils J. Diaz Title: Commissioner Department: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Relationship: Enron Stock $1,000 - $15,000
Appointee: George L. Argyros Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Spain and Andorra Department: State Relationship: Enron Stock $100,000 - $250,000; $1,000 - $15,000
Appointee: Charlotte L. Beers (Beadleston - married name) Title: Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy Department: State Relationship: Enron Stock $100,000 - $250,000
Appointee: Stephen F. Brauer Title: Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Belgium Department: State Relationship: Enron Common Stock $50,000 - $100,000
Maybe reporters covering the relevant departments should ask some questions.
1. One of the staff meetings occurred six days before Enron announced actions that reduced its shareholder equity by $1.2 billion. 2. Session two months before the energy trading company made the largest corporate bankruptcy filing in American history. 3. Bush released his energy plan on May 17, and Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2. Addington's letter said Cheney's National Energy Policy Development Group existed from Jan. 29 through Sept. 30, 2001. 4. Addington said the group's staff met with Enron representatives on Feb. 22 and March 7. 5. staff met with about two dozen representatives of various utilities, including one from Enron. Cheney aides met with officials of a German subsidiary of Enron on Aug. 7 and with Enron representatives on Oct. 10. Enron announced huge losses on Oct. 16. 6. Bush told reporters on Dec. 28: "I have had no contact with Enron officials in the last six weeks," Bush said. [That is just prior to NEPDG formation.]
By Mike Allen Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, January 9, 2002; Page A03
The White House told Congress in a letter released yesterday that Vice President Cheney or his aides met six times with Enron Corp. representatives last year, including a session two months before the energy trading company made the largest corporate bankruptcy filing in American history.
The meetings continued after President Bush released the energy policy that Cheney's staff had developed, according to the letter. Five of the meetings were with Cheney aides, and one was with the vice president. One of the staff meetings occurred six days before Enron announced actions that reduced its shareholder equity by $1.2 billion.
Cheney met for half an hour on April 17 with Kenneth L. Lay, Enron's chairman, according to a Jan. 3 letter by David S. Addington, the vice president's counsel. The letter was written in response to a Dec. 4 request by Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), ranking minority member of the House Committee on Government Reform, who released the correspondence.
Addington wrote that Cheney and Lay "discussed energy policy matters, including the energy crisis in California, and did not discuss information concerning the financial position of the Enron Corporation."
Cheney's office has resisted inquiries into the operations of his energy policy task force by the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, and by Senate Democrats who are hoping to measure Enron's influence on policy.
The Houston-based company has longtime personal and financial ties to Bush. Waxman said the letter "shows that the access provided to Enron far exceeded the access provided by the White House to other parties interested in energy policy."
Bush released his energy plan on May 17, and Enron filed for bankruptcy protection on Dec. 2. Addington's letter said Cheney's National Energy Policy Development Group existed from Jan. 29 through Sept. 30, 2001.
Addington said the group's staff met with Enron representatives on Feb. 22 and March 7. On April 9, the staff met with about two dozen representatives of various utilities, including one from Enron. Cheney aides met with officials of a German subsidiary of Enron on Aug. 7 and with Enron representatives on Oct. 10. Enron announced huge losses on Oct. 16.
"Enron did not communicate information about its financial position in any of the meetings with the Vice President or with the National Energy Policy Development Group's support staff," Addington wrote.
He noted that Cheney and Lay served on a panel at the American Enterprise Institute World Forum on June 24. "The panel was widely attended and addressed energy matters," the counsel wrote. "There was no discussion of information concerning the financial position of Enron Corporation."
A White House official said the meetings reflected the "open and inclusive" approach of Cheney's energy task force.
Bush told reporters on Dec. 28 that he is "deeply concerned about the citizens of Houston who worked for Enron who lost life savings" when its stock value collapsed. He said he supports moves by Congress and the Securities and Exchange Commission to look into that issue. "I have had no contact with Enron officials in the last six weeks," Bush said.
© 2002 The Washington Post Company