U.S. court upholds Jeff Skilling conviction

SAN FRANCISCO - The criminal convictions of former Enron Corp Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling were upheld by a U.S. appeals court.

A jury convicted Skilling in 2006 on 19 counts, including conspiracy and securities fraud, in connection with the collapse of the one-time energy trading giant. But the U.S. Supreme Court later invalidated one theory underpinning the conspiracy conviction.

On Wednesday the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals found that any error committed by the trial judge was “harmless,” and thus upheld the conviction. Because of that determination, Skilling’s challenge to the rest of his convictions must also fail, the appeals court ruled.

A lawyer representing Skilling could not immediately be reached.

The case in the 5th Circuit is United States of America v. Jeffrey K. Skilling, 06-20885.