New York Times Reporter Who Documented Enron Scandal to Speak at U. T. Dallas

Kurt Eichenwald, a senior writer and investigative reporter for The New York Times, will discuss the Enron scandal, which he documented in his book “Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story,” on Tuesday evening, June 14, at The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD).

The event, sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Greater Dallas and UTD in cooperation with the group The Institute for Interesting People, will be held at 6 p.m. in the Davidson Auditorium in UTD’s School of Management Building.

The scandal that led to the collapse of Houston-based Enron Corporation came to symbolize corporate excesses in the 1990’s. The company’s 2001 bankruptcy – one of the largest in U.S. history – resulted from accounting practices that enabled managers to report false profits and hide financial losses. The scandal shook investor confidence in American business and prompted the adoption of laws to reform accounting practices and strengthen the ability of the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate accounting fraud.

A resident of Dallas, Eichenwald has written about corporate corruption and related topics for The Times for more than a decade. Another Eichenwald expose of white-collar crime, a book titled “The Informant: A True Story,” is currently in development as a major motion picture.

Eichenwald’s talk is open to the public. Admission will be free to the first 50 students; the cost to others will be $15, and that will include a barbeque-style dinner. Those wishing to attend must RSVP by June 8 to 972-883-2757 or som_news@utdallas.edu.