"This is a deeply troubling development.  It should never have happened.  While Andersen has assured the Committee that it will work vigorously to retrieve all electronic documents, we may never know if all of the relevant records were recovered.   

"Clearly this is a very serious matter.  Anyone who destroyed records simply out of stupidity should be fired; anyone who destroyed records intentionally to subvert our investigation should be prosecuted.   

"One way or another, our Committee will get to the bottom of this debacle." 

Note: Late last year, Chairman Tauzin directed House Energy and Commerce Committee investigators to begin a far-reaching probe into the financial collapse of Enron Corporation. To date, the Committee has reviewed thousands of documents, interviewed scores of people and currently has a team of investigators in Houston.