[presidio9]

It's not that simple. Lying to an FBI agent or the SEC is a crime, and within the financial it's taken quite seriously, a career ender. Even invoking your 5th amendment right could be near fatal to your employment. For a corporate officer I'm surprised she didn't plead this out, but I'm sure that would have been the end of her serving as an officer or on the board of any public corporation.

Harsh, maybe, though I don't think so, but I don't see it changing.

That's all well and good, but since Stewart is not employed by the securities industry, it is 100% irrelevant. On top of that, the lying is not the crime she is facing jail for. She is facing jail for the percieved share manipulation that occured when she professed her innocence.

[gatex]

"but since Stewart is not employed by the securities industry..."

Didn't she receive pay as a member of the Board of the New York Stock Exchange at the time her stock sale occurred ?

[SJackson]

Sure she is. Like it or not, as an officer of a public company she comes under the purvue of the SEC. Nowadays, the Atty Gen of NY claims jurisdiction too, till he's Governor. :>)

It's a very interesting case, right on the line, but if by professing her innocence she provided false information to the prospects of her company, she may well lose. I agree, this isn't the same as a CEO lying about corporate projections, but clearly her personal status in a criminal investigation is relevant to her ability to continue in a position of trust with her company, which is relevant to it's outlook.

I admit to being torn on this. If she loses, the appeal on her 5A right will be interesting, I'd tend to come down on her side. I can't help but think she passed on a deal, these cases just don't come to trial.