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Ex-Enron CEO latest appeal rejected by Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Monday turned aside jailed Enron executive Jeff Skilling’s second appeal, upholding his corporate corruption fraud conviction.

The justices without comment rejected call to take another look at the scope of a conspiracy charge — so-called “honest services” fraud.

The high court two years ago had given Skilling a temporary victory when it upheld the continued use of the popular federal prosecution tool but limited when it could be used against business executives and politicians. Lower federal courts were ordered to re-examine whether the trial judge should have allowed the jury to consider that charge. A federal appeals court subsequently ruled again for the government, prompting the latest Supreme Court appeal. 

Skilling, 58, is currently in federal prison. He was convicted of 19 counts of fraud, conspiracy, and insider trading relating to the collapse of the Texas-based energy services giant in late 2001.