Nothing Concentrates the Mind Like the Prospect of a Hanging: The Criminalization of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

This article discusses: (1) the post-Enron environment and the events that led up to the whirlwind passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, (2) the legislative history for criminalizing a bill that originated in the House Financial Services Committee, and (3) a comparison between the increased criminal provisions and penalties under the Act with already existing legislation. It also analyzes how Congress closed loop-holes, flexed its muscles with respect to corporate practices, and the necessity of the new criminal laws.