WASHINGTON (voa) – The U.S. Department of Justice has ordered the White House to preserve all documents relating to the bankrupt energy trader Enron since January 1999. White House officials say they will comply with the order, which includes all written communications, e-mails, notes and computer files.
The Justice Department action comes hours after President Bush proposed new safeguards to protect the pensions of millions of U.S. employees in the wake of the Enron collapse.
Thousands of Enron employees lost their life savings when they were barred from selling the company’s plummeting stock, while some top executives cashed-out before the plunge.
Also, the investigative arm of Congress, the General Accounting Office, says it will file suit against the White House to gain access to documents from the Bush Administration’s energy task force, which was headed by Vice President Dick Cheney.
The GAO is investigating whether private companies, including Enron, inappropriately influenced the formulation of the White House energy policy.
The White House has refused to hand over the records, saying disclosure would undermine its ability to obtain independent, expert advice. The White House says it is confident of prevailing in court.
Several congressional committees are investigating whether Enron’s often complicated business dealing may have involved illegal activities.
