HOUSTON -- More than 100 potential jurors are to report to a federal courtroom in Houston Monday in the first stage of the trial of Enron founder Kenneth Lay and former CEO Jeffrey Skilling.
Jury selection begins four years after Enron collapsed in one of the biggest scandals in U.S. corporate history. The crash left thousands jobless and slammed Wall Street with billions of dollars in losses.
Skilling faces 31 counts of fraud, conspiracy, insider trading and lying to auditors about Enron's financial state before the company crashed.
Lay faces seven counts of fraud and conspiracy for allegedly perpetuating the scheme after Skilling resigned in August 2001.
Both have pleaded innocent.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has told attorneys he expects a panel to be seated by day's end.
The judge twice shot down defense attempts to move the trial.
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