Honest Services Issue Stressed In Skilling Appeal Argument

Jeff Skilling’s lead attorney Daniel Petrocelli on Wednesday called former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling’s 2006 trial “fundamentally unfair and defective” in oral arguments before the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans. In urging the three-judge panel to overturn the convictions, Petrocelli focused on the August 2006 US v. Brown (Enron Nigerian Barge) decision in which the Fifth Circuit held that “honest services fraud” does not apply when an employee’s actions were intended to benefit the company rather than for personal gain. Skilling was convicted in May 2006 on 19 of 28 counts including conspiracy, securities fraud and insider trading and is currently serving a 24 year prison sentence. Houston Chronicle (Kristen Hays), Texas Lawyer (Brenda Sapino Jeffreys), AP.