Advertise:   ads@blueearthmarketing.com   712.224.5420

Law
High court overturns Arthur Andersen conviction


The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned former accounting firm Arthur Anderson's conviction of obstruction of justice for destroying documents related to the Enron criminal inquiry.

In a unanimous decision, the court said the federal jury that convicted Anderson of one count of obstruction of justice was given improper instructions. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion.

Andersen, which folded its accounting business in the wake of the Enron scandal, has played a significant role in the handling of the Indian trust. In the 1990s, the firm created "reconciliation" reports on tribal trust fund accounts that the Bush administration is now using to claim that tribes are owed very little for mismanagement of their assets.

The reports are also being used to claim that Individual Indian Money (IIM) account holders are owed a mere "millions" for the handling of their funds. Anderson, however, never worked on the IIM trust and once opined that it would be impossible and costly to try and reconcile the funds.

Bert T. Edwards, a former Arthur Andersen partner, heads up the Office of Historical Trust Accounting at the Interior Department.

Get the Story:
Justices Overturn Andersen Conviction (The Washington Post 6/1)
pwpwd
Justices Reject Auditor Verdict in Enron Scandal (The New York Times 6/1)
pwnyt
Reversal of Andersen Conviction Not a Declaration of Innocence (The New York Times 6/1)

Decision in Arthur Anderson v. US:
Syllabus | Opinion [Rehnquist]

Relevant Links:
Arthur Andersen - http://www.andersen.com

Related Stories:
Bush official balks at large settlement for Cobell (07/10)
Trial examines Swimmer's trust reform history (07/01)
On trust, lawmakers take Bush officials at face value (06/25)
Appropriators question historical accounting plan (03/13)
Andersen reports cited in tribal trust cases (08/12)
NCAI's Hall wants trust records protected (6/19)
GAO: Full reconciliation impossible (2/8)
White House orders review of Andersen contracts (1/25)
Arthur Andersen taking on IIM accounting (1/18)
Arthur Andersen fired by Enron (1/18)
Andersen questioned Enron relationship (1/17)
Andersen faces rocky future (1/16)
Enron warned of imploding situation (1/15)
Enron debate a political gamble (1/14)
Auditor Andersen's name in 'tatters' (1/14)
Enron subject of criminal investigation (1/10)
Cheney met with failed Enron Corp. (1/9)
Colo. tribe an Enron investor (1/7)