Jul 18, 2002
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DOES PRESIDENT BUSH ENDORSE HALLIBURTON ACCOUNTING PRACTICES?
President Bush’s Comments on Cheney Halliburtion Matter Undermine Efforts Against Corporate Corruption
(Washington, DC) Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, raised concerns today that President Bush’s comments in support of Vice President Cheney’s role in the Halliburton controversy could not only undermine government and private efforts to root out corporate corruption, but could be construed as an endorsement of Halliburton’s business practices. Judicial Watch, on behalf of Halliburton shareholders, is suing Vice President Cheney and Halliburton over alleged stock fraud. During a press conference yesterday, President Bush said that Vice President Cheney is a “fine business leader” and that an ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation will clear the Vice President of any wrongdoing concerning Halliburton.
“The President is effectively saying that Halliburton did everything by the book, while the evidence shows that it has not. And by endorsing his Vice President’s business behavior, President Bush undermines his own purported concerns about corporate scandal. The effect of the President’s words is ‘Go after Enron. Go after WorldCom. But stay away from Vice President Cheney.’ The hypocrisy is apparent,” stated Judicial Watch Chairman and General Counsel Larry Klayman.
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