October 18, 2011

Leadership Kudos and Gaffes: Justice Department for a carefully constructed case

Leadership Kudos for the week go to U.S. Justice Department for presenting a carefully constructed case for insider trading against Raj Rajaratnam, leader of the Galleon Fund.  The case led to his criminal conviction and sentence of eleven years in federal prison, the longest ever for insider trading. Sadly, Rajaratnam drew many other people into his illegal trades, often with money and favors, who have already pled guilty to participating with him in these activities

Leadership Gaffes go to Reverend Robert Jeffress and backer of Governor Rick Perry for calling the Mormon faith “a cult,” and those Republican presidential candidates who failed to denounce him. The separation of church and state is a bedrock principle of the United States, and as long as candidates for president adhere to that principle, their religion should not become a political issue. Our political leaders should be focusing on the many problems the country is facing by uniting us, not by permitting attacks on candidates for their religious beliefs that only tend to divide the nation.