Business
Yahoo lawyer admits to lying to Congress - unintentionally, of course
Yahoo's general counsel Michael Callahan basically copped to lying to Congress over Yahoo's role in turning over Chinese journalist Shi Tao to the Beijing government, AP reported over the weekend.To put a more wire-service spin on it, Callahan actually said:In a statement released Thursday, Callahan said he learned of the reason for the Chinese government's request months after testifying before lawmakers but failed to notify them.
Yahoo's general counsel Michael Callahan basically copped to lying to Congress over Yahoo's role in turning over Chinese journalist Shi Tao to the Beijing government, AP reported over the weekend.
To put a more wire-service spin on it, Callahan actually said:
In a statement released Thursday, Callahan said he learned of the reason for the Chinese government's request months after testifying before lawmakers but failed to notify them."I neglected to directly alert the committee of this new information, and that oversight led to a misunderstanding that I deeply regret and have apologized to the committee for creating," he said.
That sounds convincing, doesn't it? Well, Callahan and Jerry Yang are invited to appear before the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Sounds like yahell of a good time for Mike and Jerry.
Oh, and Yahoo has another spin on the fiasco: bad translation.
Yahoo spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said the problem stemmed from a bad translation of the 2004 Chinese order given to a company lawyer based in the region. The company didn't get a correct translation until after the 2006 hearing, she said.
Callahan reports directly to President Susan Decker; one wonders if he will suddenly find a pressing need to spend more time with his family.