Accounting

Enron Corp.’s former outside accountant Arthur Andersen and the accounting firm’s law firm are apparently close to completing an internal review into when and how its employees destroyed documents relating to the bankrupt company’s business practices. Details of the report by Davis Polk & Wardwell could be released this week, but Andersen also indicated that its investigation is ongoing.

The head of the General Accounting Office (GAO) says he will pursue a lawsuit against the Bush White House this week if Vice President Dick Cheney does not comply with his demands for the information and records of the Cabinet-level task force, which drafted the administration’s energy policy.

In a report issued just one day after the U.S. terrorist attacks, the General Accounting Office (GAO) offered testimony before the Senate’s Committee on Governmental Affairs that poor information security on interconnected computer systems to support federal and private operations and infrastructures — including the energy industry — “could have potentially devastating implications for our country.” GAO found that federal computer systems are “riddled with weaknesses that continue to put critical operations and assets at risk.”

The General Accounting Office (GAO) has cleared former FERC Chairman Curt Hebert Jr. and Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth Lay of any criminal charges and ethics violations stemming from a telephone conversation between the two men last February during which Hebert claimed Lay sought a change in his position on a key Commission policy issue in exchange for agreeing to endorse Hebert to continue on as chairman.

The General Accounting Office (GAO) has cleared former FERC Chairman Curt Hebert and Enron Corp. Chairman Kenneth Lay of any criminal charges and ethics violations stemming from a telephone conversation between the two men last February in which Hebert claimed Lay asked him to change his position on a key Commission policy issue in exchange for his endorsing Hebert to continue on as chairman.

The Bush administration has no intention of complying with a demand by the Government Accounting Office (GAO), Congress’ investigative arm, for information on the administration’s meetings with industry leaders and energy task force members while developing an energy policy, Juleanna Glover Weiss, spokeswoman for Vice President Cheney, told NGI. A deadline passed last night for the administration to respond to the GAO demand.

Comptroller General David M. Walker has submitted a General Accounting Office (GAO) report to Congress outlining the agency’s months-long failed attempt to obtain records from Vice President Dick Cheney related to the workings of the Cabinet-level task force on energy policy.

Comptroller General David M. Walker submitted a General Accounting Office (GAO) report to Congress Friday outlining the agency’s months-long failed attempt to obtain records from Vice President Dick Cheney related to the workings of the Cabinet-level task force on energy policy.

The General Accounting Office warned last week that it is prepared to go to the mat to obtain information from Vice President Dick Cheney related to the workings of the Cabinet-level task force on energy policy, even if it means filing a civil lawsuit.