Doug Henwood joins the libertarian-minded folks in wondering why Martha Stewart is being prosecuted for essentially asserting her innocence of insider trading charges. Henwood writes,
They also claim that aside from trying to exculpate herself, Martha also designed her alibi to prop up the stock price of her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, since her being packed off to jail would almost certainly damage the firm severely. That, to the prosecutors, was securities fraud. So even though the circumstances of the original sale were probably not criminal, it may be that Stewart thought they were, and made up the $60 story as a self-defense. Should bad judgment be a felony?
Or to steal a line from Clinton supporters, it was just a lie about money!
Or, as a sign from one of Martha’s supporters outside the court room put it, if the trade was legit, you must acquit!
Source:
Free Martha!. Doug Henwood, The Nation, January 20, 2004.