[2] Mintz was also known for writing a memo to Andrew Fastow, the chief financial officer of Enron in 2000, concerning some "sweetheart" deals in favor of Mr. Fastow three months before Sherron Watkins wrote her memo, raising red flags about the growing number of improperly leveraged partnerships.

[3] In 2002, Mintz testified before Congress, explaining that he tried in vain to ensure that Enron's deals were properly vetted by all necessary executives — including former CEO Jeff Skilling.

[4] On March 28, 2007, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a civil complaint against Mintz, claiming that he participated in fraud in 2001 by arranging murky disclosures of Enron's repurchase of a money-losing Brazilian power plant from a partnership run by former finance chief Andrew Fastow.

"[5] This complaint by the SEC came as a surprise, since Mintz was praised as a whistleblower and even considered a "hero" by followers of the Enron scandal.

As part of this resolution, he was banned from practicing securities law for two years and paid $25,000 civil fines and $1 in disgorgement.