WASHINGTON, D.C. - In response to the conviction today of former MCI/WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers, Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC) Chairman Samuel A. Simon issued the following statement:

"The conviction of Bernard Ebbers on all counts, if upheld on appeal, does not bring justice to the shareholders, employees, and customers of MCI/WorldCom who were financially ruined by the actions of the company. It does demonstrate that the entire enterprise of MCI/WorldCom was corrupted during the period of Ebbers’ leadership. We hope that lawmakers will examine this entire episode and explore means of helping the true victims of these frauds."

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MEDIA CONTACT:

John Breyault, TRAC, johnb@trac.org, 202-263-2943

ABOUT TRAC:

The Telecommunications Research and Action Center (TRAC), founded in 1983, is a non-profit membership organization based in Washington, DC that promotes the interests of residential telecommunications customers. TRAC staff researches telecommunications issues and publishes rate comparisons to help consumers make informed decisions regarding their long distance and local phone service options. TRAC can be found on the web at http://www.trac.org.