"Dandy Andy" Fastow and wife, Lea.

Deal Reportedly Reached in Fastow Plea Talks

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: January 13, 2004

HOUSTON (AP) -- Former Enron finance chief Andrew S. Fastow and his wife have agreed to plead guilty for their roles in a massive accounting scandal that brought down the energy giant in 2001, sources told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said an impasse that erupted last week over a judge's refusal to give Lea Fastow only a five-month prison sentence had been resolved.

Fastow will become the highest ranking executive to plead guilty in the federal government's criminal investigation into the Enron collapse.

It wasn't immediately clear whether Fastow's negotiated plea involves an agreement to help the government develop cases against Enron's former top executives, Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling. Neither Lay nor Skilling has been charged; both maintain their innocence.A bit more here

The last two sentences are going to be what makes or breaks this plea bargain in the eyes of Americans that would like to believe the post-Enron world differs in some meaningful way. If Fastow is able to remain mute, I'll be outraged. I'm also not going to hold my breath.( I don't look good in blue :) )