The intense performance art, both on the part of the prosecution and the defense, in insider trading trials is having a long run. The latest one on stage is "U.S. v Whitman."
It's different in that the defendant Doug Whitman has taken the stand, reports Bloomberg. He denies receiving material information from Romy Kahn. We recall that there was talk that Raj Rajaratnam and Rajat Gupta, both convicted, were going to take the stand but didn't. The risk there is unintended disclosure during cross examination. The media, including Bloomberg, are waiting to see today how Whitman holds up during cross.
What is the same is that there is yet another goofy female among the big boys. In the Galleon Hedge Fund it was Danielle Chiesi, who is now serving time at Camp Cupcake. Among many other personal issues, she had a substance abuse problem. Now we have Roomy Khan. Whitman denies receiving tips from her. There is evidence that he did send her flowers around the time of the alleged tip but that, of course, doesn't mean much in itself.
Kahn had been nailed for insider trading years ago, Bloomberg tells us. On a second round, she agreed to become an FBI informant. But she admitted that even then she was not a truth-teller. Her credibility in this case is therefore not so hot. She is one of the three witnesses presented by the prosecution in court. How does the jury know she didn't fabricate on the stand.
Women don't seem to fare all that well in the world of inside trading. Maybe it's premature that they entered it. Either that ethos is not ready for them or they are not ready to read it right and handle the whatever.
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