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How can Madoff afford a prison consultant?
By Lauren | July 7, 2009
The London Times reported over the weekend that disgraced financier Bernard Madoff has hired Herb Hoelter of the National Center for Insitutions and Alternatives, a top prison consultant, to help him find a suitable jail in which to serve out his 150-year sentence. By hiring Hoelter, Madoff has joined the ranks of other high-profile white-collar convicts, including Ivan Boesky, Michael Milken and Alfred Taubman. Apparently, there’s a consultant for every conceivable need.
Ye gods.
Madoff may have some trouble finding the cushy new home he apparently desires. His sentence was tough enough to make him ineligible for the minimum-security prisons that usually house white collar criminals. And it’s understandable that the 71-year-old Madoff might be a tad nervous about being locked up with violent criminals. A superwealthy financier who made his money by swindling little old ladies and charitable foundations probably won’t be especially popular among the murderers, drug dealers, rapists, and gang members who populate high-security prisons.
Still, one has to wonder how Madoff is able to pay for a high-profile consultant when so many of his victims have been stripped of everything they own. Just the fact that he’d have the gall to retain a “personal shopper” to select his new home after driving so many people out of theirs is nothing short of mind-boggling. And for the record, I’m also less than enchanted by Mr. Hoelter’s evident eagerness to help Madoff sidestep the consequences of his crimes, given the incredible suffering he’s caused.
Last week, I pointed out that Madoff’s statement at his sentencing hearing fell short of being a real apology. This story proves what I already suspected - Madoff really isn’t sorry, and he just doesn’t get it.
To read the full London Times story, go to http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6633809.ece.
Topics: Apologies, Business Ethics, ethics |
July 8th, 2009 at 6:36 am
It’s not Madoff that doesn’t get it - those that left him and his wife the money don’t get it!
Jeff