WASHINGTON, DC — In its investigation of the Enron collapse, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has begun questioning David Duncan, the former audit partner from accounting firm Arthur Andersen who handled the Enron account. Duncan was fired by Arthur Anderson for allegedly ordering the shredding of audit documents that had been subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in that agency’s investigation of Enron.

Duncan met with committee lawyers and staff privately and was expected to cooperate with investigators. The House members will also question him.

The White House also disclosed that the administration’s top economic advisor, Lawrence Lindsey, had evaluated the impact that Enron’s bankruptcy could have on the U.S. economy before the company actually failed.