Obituary

Paul Sarbanes, U.S. Senator Who Co-Wrote Anti-Fraud Law, Dies at 87

  • The Maryland Democrat served five terms in the U.S. Senate
  • Accounting abuses led to the collapse of Enron, Worldcom
Paul Sarbanes in 2013.Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
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Paul Sarbanes, the former U.S. senator who co-wrote the Sarbanes-Oxley Act that established the first-ever accounting oversight board following the corporate fraud that toppled Enron and WorldCom, has died. He was 87.

Sarbanes “passed away peacefully this evening in Baltimore,” according to a statement from the congressional office of his son, Representative John Sarbanes. Mindful of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the family plans to hold a private service in the coming days.