On the 98-count indictment of financier and...

On the 98-count indictment of financier and “junk bond” king Michael Milken:

“He’s being charged with doing something illegal. He got caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. It’s marvelous.”

--Fred L. Hartley, chairman of Unocal, the Los Angeles petroleum company that fought off a junk bond-financed takeover attempt in 1985.

“The public needs to know that rich and poor alike, powerful and powerless, are subject to the same prosecution.”

--Kirk O. Hanson, a senior lecturer on business ethics at Stanford Graduate School of Business.

“I don’t think there are any great surprises. They were really shooting for these guys, and this is a heavy indictment with a lot of counts.”

--Ira Lee Sorkin, a New York defense lawyer and former regional administrator of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Part of his problem was that he was too successful. In fact, he became the most powerful person on Wall Street since J. P. Morgan.”

--Richard Riordan, a Los Angeles attorney and venture capitalist.

“It’s disgraceful and a sad day in American business history the way he’s being treated. He has given entrepreneurs an opportunity to participate in the great American game of business.”

--Charles Sarkis, president of the Westwood Group, which has used junk bonds to expand operations.

“The pain of this investigation, and the frustration of knowing it is unwarranted, have been excruciating.”

--Michael Milken