Ex-Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling Passed Polygraph

[George W. Maschke]

In an article titled, "Why Prosecutors Pass Up Polygraphs," Houston Chronicle reporter Mary Flood writes that former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling, who was yesterday indicted on corporate fraud charges and also faces a civil suit by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), passed a polygraph "test" administered by former FBI polygrapher Paul K. Minor, now in private practice:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2411668

Minor found "no deception indicated" when Skilling answered the following questions on 4 December 2001:

Q: While president of Enron, were you aware of any improper financial arrangement that was concealed from the Board of Directors?

A: No.

Q: Have all payments made to you by Enron, its affiliates and SPEs, been approved by Enron?

A: Yes.

Q: While president of Enron, did you believe that ChewCo, Jedi and LJM were properly accounted for on Enron's financial statements?

A: Yes.

Q: Did you sell your Enron stock on Sept. 17 because you had inside information that Enron has inaccurately portrayed its financial condition?

A: No.

[George W. Maschke]

Note that apart from polygraph test results having no scientific basis, polygraphs released by a person's lawyers have no value for an additional reason. Such "tests" are conducted under terms of attorney-client privilege. If the attorney's client "fails" the "test," no one will ever know, and the attorney can shop around until he/she finds a polygrapher that scores the client as "truthful." The results can then be made public.

Jeffrey Skilling's 1-page polygraph report is now available as a 414kb PDF file here:

http://antipolygraph.org/documents/skilling-polygraph.pdf

[Human Subject]

Such "tests" are conducted under terms of attorney-client privilege. If the attorney's client "fails" the "test," no one will ever know, and the attorney can shop around until he/she finds a polygrapher that scores the client as "truthful." The results can then be made public.

What do you mean, George?  Results vary from exam to exam?  You mean they are unreliable?

Why does the FBI continue to harass this poor man, he's clearly telling the truth?  They should be looking for the real killer, I mean thief.

And why isn't the FBI harassing me?  I'm clearly a drug user or a foreign mole, based on my exam results.  I'm in so deep I didn't even know it myself.

[George W. Maschke]

Despite his having passed a polygraph "test" administered by retired FBI polygrapher Paul Minor, a federal jury today found former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling guilty of fraud and conspiracy charges:

http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/25/news/newsmakers/enron_verdict/index.htm