Enron Files for Bankruptcy After Energy Task Force Influence

Enron filed for bankruptcy on December 2, 2001, marking the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history at the time, with $63.4 billion in assets. The collapse revealed extensive corporate fraud orchestrated by CEO Kenneth Lay and President Jeffrey Skilling, who manipulated financial statements and enriched themselves while destroying the livelihoods of 20,000 employees. The bankruptcy occurred seven months after the Bush administration’s National Energy Policy was released, which incorporated recommendations from Enron executives during Vice President Cheney’s Energy Task Force meetings.