Jeff Skilling Cries Foul

Former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling says federal prosecutors should lose their biggest catch in the scandal that felled the company because they hid crucial evidence that would have helped him during his trial two years ago.

In an appeals court filing made public Friday, Skilling's lead lawyer, Daniel Petrocelli, alleged that the government shored up its case by hiding statements from former finance chief Andrew Fastow that would have bolstered Skilling's defense.

Prosecutors are required by law to give defense lawyers evidence or information deemed favorable to the defendant.

Petrocelli alleges in the filing that more than 400 pages of notes taken by FBI agents during numerous interviews with Fastow show that some of his initial statements to authorities were not as damning as those in his testimony during Skilling's 2006 trial.