Today’s column is my extension of a memo originally written by my former trial partner, Sheldon Davidson, who served with me in the U.S. Department of Justice Chicago Strike Force. We were responsible for sending out agents to conduct many interviews such as those described below.
Interview from Viewpoint of the Corporate Executive
At about 2 p.m. Oct. 15, you, the CEO and president of a large corporation, return from a lengthy business lunch with other members of a trade association to which your company belongs. Waiting in the reception area of your office are two FBI agents. The agents state that they need some information and would appreciate your help in resolving certain issues about which they have been asked to inquire. You had no prior notice that the agents were coming to your office to conduct an interview. The agents are polite but are persistent in requesting to speak with you and you do not want to appear uncooperative. You reason that if you can handle the difficult aspects of your multimillion-dollar corporation, you certainly can respond to inquiries by two federal employees who certainly do not have, in your opinion, the same financial and business background that you have.
