Enron founder apologizes but blames press

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Enron Corp. founder and former chairman Kenneth Lay said he is sorry for "causing so much commotion," but blamed the press for making matters worse, in an e-mail to his 1960 high school graduation class.
Lay sent the message to a classmate Wednesday -- a day before pleading innocent to charges of fraud, conspiracy and making false statements to banks.
Enron crashed in 2001, putting more than 5,000 employees out of work. Thousands of workers who heavily invested in Enron stock also lost their retirement savings.
"I apologize for causing so much commotion," Lay wrote to classmate Kay Baird. "It appears that the media continues to be interested in my welfare. They are particularly interested if they think my welfare may not be good."
Lay graduated from Columbia's Hickman High School in 1960. About a year ago, Baird said she e-mailed him to see if he would send a message to the class, but Lay declined.
In his recent e-mail, which Baird forwarded to about 100 members of the 1960 class, Lay said he and his family were "doing fine."
"We have certainly had our difficulties and hardships, but I am particularly in pain by what so many of my former employees as well as many others have had to go through," Lay wrote.