Perle watchers: Don't skip the Hollinger (Conrad Black) scandal!

[BurtWorm]

Be sure to read this article in yesterday's NY Times. My eyes usually glaze over when it comes to business scandals, but this one is the apotheosis of Bush-era coporate greed. And Richard Perle is a major player. (So is Henry Kissinger and that repulisive jerk from the 9/11 Commission, Richard Thompson--the former governor of Illinois, not the former member of Fairport Convention.)

A taste of the article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/01/business/media/01conrad.html?pagewanted=print&position=

...

Members of the audit committee come under particular fire. Its members - Ms. Kravis, an economist and wife of the financier Henry Kravis; the former Illinois governor, James Thompson; and Richard Burt, a former ambassador to Germany, were "ineffective and careless,'' the report stated. Of Mr. Thompson, the chairman of the audit committee, the report said, "He failed to apply the critical part of former President Reagan's famous dictum to 'Trust, but Verify.' ''

A spokeswoman said that Mrs. Kravis was traveling and could not be reached for comment. Mr. Burt said he did not agree with the committee's findings on the board and the audit committee in particular. Mr. Thompson also said he disagreed with some of the criticism of the audit committee but agreed with most of the committee's conclusions.

The board was only slightly critical of two independent directors, Mr. Kissinger and Shmuel Meitar, vice chairman of Aurec Ltd., saying they could have done more in reviewing transactions, but that their "reliance on the audit committee was reasonable.''

But its most scathing comments about a board member are aimed at Mr. Perle, singling him out for his "flagrant abdication of duty'' as a board member. It said Mr. Perle, who headed Hollinger Digital, a unit of the parent company, while he was a board member, rubber-stamped a large number of deals that benefited Lord Black and others at the expense of Hollinger.

...

[MissMarple]

1. It is definitely on my radar.

[BurtWorm]

2. kick

[antigop]

3. Editorial in today's NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/02/opinion/02thu2.html

Look who else was on the board:
>>
The Hollinger board included the likes of Henry Kissinger; Robert Strauss, the former Democratic Party leader and ambassador to the Soviet Union; and Richard Burt, the former ambassador to Germany.
>>

[Spazito]

4. I can't wait to see all those POSs in orange jumpsuits, handcuffs and...

leg irons. Conrad Black is despicable as are Perle, Kissinger, etc.

It is creepy how Perle, Kissinger and many others seem to show up connected to just about every ugly, greedy scandal that is uncovered.

[Bushfire]

5. Picked up by BBC radio a couple nights ago too

talking about how board meetings were more heavy on foreign policy than talking about the bottom line. Millions paid out of the company coffers for lavish parties, including Black's wife birthday bash one year. Any wonder the Chicago Tribune was all pro war, all the time...