E-mail Contradicts (Gov.) Rowland's Enron Claim

[Barrett808]

Hartford — A newly uncovered e-mail message sent by a top Enron Corp. lobbyist to the now-bankrupt company's chief executive officer, Kenneth Lay, contradicts Gov. John G. Rowland's claim that he never met or spoke with Lay about Enron's dealings with the state trash authority.

Moreover, a memorandum attached to the e-mail shows that, contrary to the governor's repeated assertions, Rowland gave detailed instructions for an ambitious plan by Enron and the trash authority for an expensive fuel-cell project. The project was to have been built with as much as $206 million in public funds and operated by Enron, which would have collected fees for managing it.

The Enron memo says the governor gave his approval for the fuel-cell pro-ject at least as early as October 2001 and made several key decisions about it, including who in his administration would supervise it. According to the memo, the governor also insisted that Enron make the trash authority, the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority, its “partner.”

“Some good news,” the company's senior vice president for government affairs, Steven J. Kean, wrote in his message to Lay almost exactly two years ago. “Your call to Governor Rowland was helpful. We are not finished yet, but we are on our way.”

...

Four days after the call to Rowland, Enron's corporate headquarters in Houston made a $60,000 contribution to the Republican Governors Association, of which Rowland had just become chairman.

(more)

http://www.theday.com/eng/web/newstand/re.aspx?reIDx=043ACF56-5930-4250-8EA8-C1E8BE3CC500

[Barrett808]

1. Report: E-mails show Rowland involvement in Enron fuel cell project

HARTFORD, Conn. -- A newly discovered e-mail and memo suggest Gov. John G. Rowland played an active role in a failed fuel cell project involving Enron Corp. and the state trash authority, the Journal Inquirer of Manchester reported Thursday.

The documents contradict Rowland's repeated assertions that he never spoke to or met with Kenneth Lay, former Enron chief executive officer, about the authority's dealings, the newspaper reported.

The e-mail sent by Enron's senior vice president for government affairs, Steven J. Kean, to Lay on Nov. 5, 2001 apparently refers to a telephone conversation with Rowland.

"Some good news. Your call to Governor Rowland was helpful," the e-mail said. "We are not finished yet, but we are on our way."

...

"The question is, have I ever met Ken Lay, and the answer is no," Rowland said. "The question is, have I ever talked to him about CRRA proposals, and answer is no," Rowland said.

An internal Enron memo, dated Oct. 30, 2001, refers to Rowland's support of the fuel-cell project and requirements he had for it, including which member of his administration would be involved, the Journal Inquirer reported. The memo also states that Rowland insisted CRRA be a partner.

(more)

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ct--crra-rowland1106nov06,0,7586267.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

[joeybee12]

2. Rowland is about as sleazy as they come--if the Dems in CT

had any backbone, he would have been long gone before this even surfaced!

[Amaya]

6. He's a first rate slime ball

Can't stand that f*cker :grr:

[Don_G]

3. Ken Lay Is Responding To The SEC Supeona

And is going to turn over another 870 pages of "personal" correspondence next week. Maybe something else will surface.

[david_vincent]

4. Pay no attention to the graft behind the curtain!!

[Don_G]

5. Which Curtain?

Number 1, 2 or 3?

Isn't this "The Price Is Right?"

[david_vincent]

7. No, it's Let's Make a Deal!

Who's got a governor in their pocket? I'll give you $60,000 for a governor if it's in your pocket. Sixty thousand dollars!...

[leesa]

8. Recall time folks!! Oh wait he's a Republican...he can do

whatever he wants...bribes, theft, dead interns in offices, rampant womanizing, etc...After all, they are all born-agains which means they have declared themselves saved therefore they can murder, rape, plunder and pillage at will and they are still saved. Good deal, huh?